Tomb Raider: Avalon and the Lux Knight
by loveableabusive
Summary: Set a year and a half after AoD and just after Legends, lara is stuck on how to get to Avalon when an old friend comes back from the grave... LCxKT! Please Review. Oh And Tomb Raider: A child and the Repha'im is now up
1. You

**Disclaimer - **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter One**

**- you -**

It was a cold evening when chance found Lara, sitting at her desk, a huge book open in front of her. She never normally stayed awake all night reading, but Alister, who usually took care of the books, was in the Cavendish Laboratory on Lara's orders, researching, like her, the Avalon 'Myth'. So Lara turned to books, to find a way to find her mother, who, if Amanda was to be believed, was trapped in Avalon.

Lara sighed and rubbed at her eyes, groaning as another candle gutted out. She quickly lit a new one and placed it in a sixth holder, one that she had forgotten about. She was just taking the remains of the last candle from a different holder when her desk gave a slight jump.

Pausing in her fiddling, she gave the desk a highly quizzical look, when it remained still; she put it down to fatigue and resumed picking at candle wax.

The desk leapt again. Lara threw down the silver candleholder onto the floor and jumped to her feet, wishing that she had the common sense to equip her guns. What pistols were supposed to do against an unknown desk-dwelling force, she didn't know but she always felt more secure with them.

The desk gave a particularly violent jolt, bringing with it the sound of splintering wood. Some suppressed memory stirred in Lara's mind and she frowned. Something was in that drawer, but what?

Before she could make sense of it all, a glowing golden disc ripped itself from the mahogany drawer, embedding itself into the wall, the nearest of the blades two inches from her eye. Lara gasped as she recognised it, placed her fingers into the finger holes and gave a sharp tug.

The disc came free and the blades retracted as Lara looked upon it, a wave of melancholy thoughtfulness covering her. _Kurtis._

With an awfully loud bang, the library door crashed open and Lara jerked her head up, hardly daring to believe it, but then her heart fell.

"Lara?" It was Zip, the poor fellow was still in his pyjamas and was holding the end of a broomstick. He looked around the room, puzzled and his eyes from the Chirugai Lara held in her hand, causing his frown to deepen. "That's something I haven't seen in a while," He looked at the ruined desk. "You mauled the desk to get to that thing? You could've used the handle, was a nice desk."

"This ruined the desk," Lara lifted the disc up. "Not I," She looked pensive. "I haven't seen it react in over a year,"

"What can it mean?" Zip lowered the broom-handle. "That belonged to… oh whatshisface… the Lux dude..."

"His name was Kurtis Trent," Lara sighed turning the disc over in her hands. The metal was cool.

"was?"

"He died," Lara shrugged and retrieved the book she had been reading, placing the Chirugai on top of it, making it easier to carry both objects, she went to leave the room. "I'm going to retire for the evening, if Alister returns, tell him not to disturb me." And she left.

Zip sighed and leant against the doorframe.

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't see Winston rushing past him, a tray held threateningly in his shaking hands, grumbling something about "_yanks_".

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The next morning after a somewhat sleepless night, Lara sat in the dining room, silently chewing on a piece of toast. For the moment she was alone, Winston making coffee, Zip still in bed and Alister was due back any second.

Her mind was stirring, overactive since last night. She felt confused and for some reason frightened, not knowing what was going on, even inside her own home. "What have you done to me?" she said to no one in particular. She still had the Chirugai, on the table next to her, reflecting the flickering candles. It wasn't moving, but she could feel the power surrounding it, as if someone or something was trying to move it. Lara frowned and put down her toast, picking it up with one hand and running the other along the surface. It was still cool, not warm but not cold either.

"Where _are_ you?" She whispered as an unwanted tear slid from her eye. She hastily wiped it away with her hand, refusing to cry over a stupid conceited American.

"Lady Croft," Winston said as he re-entered the room with a mug of coffee. "You received a phone call at some unearthly time last night, from a man,"

"Did he say his name?"

"No ma'am, but he requested you call him on this number –" He passed her a post-it note with a mobile telephone number written on it. "- at your earliest convenience."

"Thank you Winston," Lara looked at the number. "Did he say anything else?"

"Only things too unpleasant for me to repeat Ms Croft." Winston sniffed haughtily. "Haven't been so insulted in my life."

Despite herself, Lara chuckled. "Don't take it to heart Winston, darling. Can you get me my phone please?"

"You're not actually going to call him are you?" Winston looked appalled. "For heaven's sake Lara, why?"

"Curiosity," Lara smiled as Winston retrieved her phone, somewhat reluctantly. Lara took the phone from the butler and dialled the number into the phone and pressed call, lifting the phone to her ear. It rang three times before it was picked up.

"Hello?" A familiar voice answered.

"Hello," Lara repeated, looking at the Chirugai as it twitched.

"Who's this?"

"Who's _that_?"

"Lara, don't play games,"

"I'm not playing games," Lara answered. "I just want to know who you are."

"I haven't got time for this, I'm coming round later. We need to talk," and with that he switched the phone off. Lara stared at the phone for a moment before giving it back to Winston.

"We'll be having a visitor shortly." Lara said. "And it is quite likely he will be just as rude as I imagine he was to you on the phone,"

"That cretin is coming here?" Winston scowled. "Did he say what his name was?"

"No," Lara shook her head. "But I have an inkling, if it is who I think… I shall kick his arse to next Sunday,"

"Alex then?"

Lara sighed. It did sound like Alex, and it was more likely him that who she'd hoped it was. Her heart fell again. She silently swore at herself for getting her hopes up.

"Yes, Alex…" She looked at the Chirugai, which had ceased its twitching.

"I shall sort out a room in case he decides to stay." Winston said and he left her to her thoughts.

It was over a year ago since she had seen Kurtis Trent, and three years since she had seen Alex. The last time she had seen Kurtis, he had helped her by allowing her to go after Eckhardt, while he faced the mutant Boaz. Lara had searched for him, after finishing of Eckhardt and Karel, but had found nothing but his Chirugai, lying in a pool of blood, Boaz's headless corpse nearby. Thinking the worst, Lara had checked all the hospitals in Prague for any mention of his name but to no avail.

Six months later she had given up on the search, almost a year after that, her old friend, Anaya, who was visiting from Le Paz, set her on course finding the stone daises to find out what happened to Amelia Croft.

Six months searching, without even a whisper of if he was dead or alive and now, almost a year and a half past… the Chirguai was active again.

"Bloody hell," Lara groaned. She finished her toast and began sipping her coffee when Zip came in, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey Lara," He yawned. He sat down and helped himself to toast from the stack in the centre of the table. "you alright?"

"Didn't sleep much," Lara replied with a wan smile. "You?"

"Slept like a baby," Zip grinned. "but still feeling crap."

Lara smiled. "We'll be having a visitor later on. I think it's Alex but I am not sure."

Zip rolled his eyes. "Fun, spending time with that prick, didn't Bryce start working for him?"

"After he quit from me, yeah," Lara shrugged. "Apparently, it was safer working for Alex."

"Pfft," Zip scoffed. "More likely Alex was offering more money."

"Whatever," Lara sighed. "You won't run off will you? Or Alister?"

"Nah," Zip grinned. "We both know you'll hunt us down and castrate us for even contemplating that,"

Lara laughed, "Oh Zip," She shook her head. "I wouldn't even dream of harming you, or Alister that way… unless you do something really awful."

"Like betray you?"

Lara smiled. "Like betray me." She agreed.

Zip was going to say something more when the doorbell went and they both looked at the dining room door, listening intently for the familiar voice of Alister as he asks Winston to help him with his bags. But it never came. Lara frowned at Zip and got to her feet, running out the dining room door and into the hallway. The front door was open and Winston was stood there talking to the visitor.

Lara approached and looked over Winston's shoulder, seeing the shock of blond hair , bright blue eyes and familiar scowl.

"Amanda!" Lara gasped. Winston looked at Lara, rolled his eyes and turned back into the house. Lara waited until he had gone into the dining room before talking. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." Amanda hesitated, a huge bruise was just beginning to fade under her right eye and she looked haggard.

"What about?"

Amanda sighed. "Can I come in?"

"Whatever you can say, you can say it out here" Lara snapped. "I don't think that anything you have to say is worth my attention."

"I want to help you find Avalon," Amanda said.

"Come in," Lara stepped backwards.

"I won't stay long," Amanda entered and looked around the hall. _Like you haven't seen this before_, Lara thought scathingly, glaring at Amanda. "Just wanted to say that and that I've done my research. I think we should talk later in the week when I have my facts straight."

"Why should I trust you?" Lara raised the infamous eyebrow.

"You have my Summon Stone," Amanda replied. "I'm no threat to you,"

"I suppose," Lara crossed her arms. "Is that all you're going to say?"

"Yes,"

"Then leave,"

Amanda sighed. "Thank you Lara for letting me speak, I'll call before I return," And she left without a backwards glance. Lara watched her close the heavy door behind her and looked at the floor. Would these surprises never end? The Chirugai, the call from Alex and Amanda's visit, all within twelve hours.

Lara sat against the wall next to the door and out her head in her hands, suppressing the urge to weep like a child. Her head was sore over thoughts of Kurtis, Alex and now Amanda and she needed a break, somewhere to go to forget everything that was happening to her. But she couldn't leave, she couldn't run away. Plus she had to wait for Alex.

Unwillingly, Lara found herself thinking about a certain dark-haired cocky American demon-hunter and she smiled a little at her memories of over at the Louvre, at the Strahov… even when she had first seen him in the Café Metro.

When he hadn't returned, she could've sworn she had felt her heart break. Even if it was only a little crack, but it was still extremely fragile. Lara shut her eyes and shook her head, she wasn't helping herself and she stood up. Looking at the clock, she estimated that, if all went well, Alister would be back within the hour. _Good_, she thought. _Had enough of bloody Americans._

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The Chirugai was twitching again, the blades shooting out but retracting again almost immediately. It lay on her table next to the armchair she was sat on.

"You're dead," She told it. "Dead. You can't come back," She choked on her own voice and found herself shaking. "Why didn't you come back?"

"Talking to yourself again I see," Alister said from the doorway of Lara's trophy room. Lara gasped and stood up, running and throwing herself into his arms.

Before she realised what was happening, she was crying into his shoulder, sobbing and choking, thumping him in the chest, trying to find a way to let go of her grief.

"Lara?" Alister frowned. "what is it?" He held her gingerly, as if she were made of porcelain and he was afraid she may shatter.

"I WANT HIM BACK!" She wailed before being totally overcome.

Awkward, Alister allowed himself to hold her tighter and he rested his chin on her bowed head. Frowning something caught his eye, "Err… Lara?"

"What?" She turned around to what he was looking at. She gasped. The Chirugai was fully active, resting suspended in the air, the blades out, spinning ominously. It was glowing with that familiar orange light.

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**I've made some changes to this. Some spelling mistakes were corrected and I've redone it all up. :D like it?**


	2. Where have you been?

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Rusty.

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**Chapter Two**

**- Where have you been? - **

Lara took a step towards the spinning Chirugai but as soon as she neared it, it flew off into the hall, obviously giving absolutely no regard for doors. Lara followed with Alister hot on her heels.

They entered the hall just in time to see the Chirugai throw itself through one of the cringingly expensive stain glass windows in the front door and out into the garden. Lara increased her speed to a sprint and pulled open the heavy front door, almost yanking her arm out of her socket in the process.

A man had his back to her, his right arm raised, holding the now inactive Chirugai in his practised grip. A blue motorcycle sat neatly in the drive, pounded by the rain that had been falling ever since that morning.

He slowly turned around to face Lara and Alister and Lara scowled, her hand speeding through the air to connect with his face faster than you could say 'slap'.

He staggered back, puzzled, but then his bewilderment deepened as Lara leapt at him, hugging him hard with renewed tears.

"Err?" Kurtis Trent looked at Alister in a 'help!' kind of fashion but Alister was too busy chortling about his misfortune. "Lara?"

"You inconsiderate bastard," Lara seethed, still clinging onto the embrace. "You are absolutely _impossible_! Where in heavens name have you been?"

"Hell and back again it seems," Kurtis replied but when it was apparent Lara wasn't it the mood for jokes, he sighed. "When I'd finished with that bitch Boaz, I got the fuck out of that place, slowly mind you, we both left our mark on the other… I daresay the one I left on her was slightly more lethal that the one she gave me. But only slightly."

"I searched."

"Used a fake name," Kurtis shook his head. "Come on Lara, you didn't expect me to check into a hospital with my real name did you? Not if Eckhardt's underlings were still pokin' 'round."

Lara suddenly felt very stupid and, at the same time, better about that slap she gave him. "You could've called,"

"Didn't have your number,"

"Then how – " Lara stepped away from him.

"It's amazin' what the locals know about this place." He replied looking very relieved that Lara had finally let go. "Your number is practically posted on every notice board 'round."

Lara decided not to ask him about that and she sighed. "Do you want to come inside, out of the rain?"

"Please," Trent smiled as Lara led him inside, Alister closing the door behind them. He then mumbled something about unpacking and made his way upstairs to his room.

"Nice place," Kurtis commented with a smirk.

Lara ignored that. "Where are you staying?" She asked instead as she led him to her study.

"For the moment, in your stables," Kurtis replied. He laughed at Lara's puzzled look. "Only since last night, I've been tryin' to get a subtle grip on my Chirugai but after being separated from it for so long it was hard, plus I couldn't do much from town. I never had anywhere to go in England so I hijacked your stables for a bit. Rusty doesn't mind, he likes the carrots.

"Hmm," Lara sat down, Kurtis opposite her, he had straw in his hair and Lara suppressed a giggle. "You do know you owe me a desk, a door and a stained glass window, don't you?" She said as a diversion from the fact that her face just screwed up like a teabag.

"You know I'd love to help you but if I had any money do you really think I'd be crashin' in your stables?"

"Ah touché," Lara laughed. "But… where _have_ you been for the last year?"

"Around, mostly searchin' for you," Kurtis grinned. "Your movements have been very chaotic for the last month or two, what have you been doin'?"

"Doing some work abroad, things to do with family… boring things," Lara lied quickly before she knew why she was lying. "Nothing much,"

"Oh, so 'nothing' made you run 'round the world like you had a rocket strapped to your ass?" Kurtis smirked. He crossed his arms. "Heard you had a run-in with James Rutland."

"He came off worse," Lara said vehemently.

"So I heard," Kurtis congratulated. "Can't say I ever liked the asshole, he had his head so far up his dad's ass his feet never touched the floor."

"Yes well, he tried to stop me from getting what I wanted,"

"Never a good idea,"

"But they succeeded." Lara shrugged, getting the feeling that Kurtis knew her much better than she thought. "So now I know have Excalibur and no idea what to do next," Kurtis blinked.

"Did I miss somethin'?"

"Sorry Kurtis," Lara smiled. "I missed a whole chunk out, let me explain." And she told him, she told him about her mother, about her father's disgrace, about Rutland and Amanda, about the unknown entity and about the connection with King Arthur.

Afterwards, Kurtis let out a low whistle. "So you're headin' to Avalon?"

"Once I find out how to get there," Lara stood up, She began to pace. "Amanda said that she wants to help me but I bet any money she wants to stay in Avalon,"

"Do you trust her?"

"Not as far as I could throw her, and if Excalibur is involved, that's pretty far." Lara shot back. "But if I could… I would do anything to get my mother back,"

Kurtis gave a slow nod. "Do you want me to help?" When Lara looked at him, he stood up. "Croft, this Amanda woman probably has another reason for needin' your help. By the sounds of things, you majorly pissed her off in Bolivia… I wouldn't trust her for anythin'. You need my help, Lara,"

"I don't trust _you_ either," Lara retorted. "Gone for a year and a half, then you suddenly show up claiming that you've been looking for me… hiding in my stable! What are you doing here Kurtis?"

Kurtis closed his eyes and shook his head. "I've never done anythin' that gives you an excuse not to trust me. Have I?"

"Hmm," Lara frowned in a look of mock-thoughtfulness. "How about disarming me in the Louvre?"

"It's not my fault I'm so dashin' that you promptly dropped all your guns," Kurtis grinned.

"Locking me in an air lock?"

"For your own protection,"

"Following me all over Paris and Prague?"

"Had to make sure Ms Croft was doin' well,"

"Not getting back in touch?"

Kurtis just smiled, although his eyes held great pain, be it about the pain of whatever Boaz did to him or after, Lara didn't know, and, she told herself firmly, she didn't care. She sighed.

"You're welcome to stay here for however long you please, but I do not need your help… I'm not that useless."

Kurtis nodded and grinned. "Thank you Lara,"

But he couldn't help thinking: _famous last words_.


	3. Thoughts and Actions

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Three**

**- Thoughts and actions - **

Kurtis sat in the spare room, his rucksack dumped next to the chest of drawers. The blinds were drawn, but that didn't stop some gentle moonlight from filtering through onto the soft red carpet, looking like a sliver of pure silver. He was sat on the bed, his back against the headboard, his Chirugai in his hands.

"Did Ms Croft take care of you?" He asked it, carefully running a hand over the cool surface. He found profoundly stupid for talking to an inanimate object but he felt like talking to someone, something… anything. But he couldn't, Lara was already in bed and he wasn't about to go and wake her up, she may get the wrong idea and he didn't want that.

Or did he?

Kurtis shook his head, It was a long time since any woman had shown even a remote interest in him and vice versa. It wasn't as if he didn't want to be interested, it was more like something was stopping him. It was the same with Lara but at the same time it was also very different. He was attracted to her but he wanted to keep it like that, only an attraction. Lara was the type of woman who was a constant magnet for trouble.

He didn't need that.

Kurtis looked at the Chirugai again. But then, he was just as bad. With a groan, he rolled off the bed and walked over to the window, leaning on the sill, the moonlight falling on his scarred bare chest.

Lara was the type of woman that Kurtis had sworn off, but she was also the woman who occupied most of his thoughts.

"Wonderful," He grumbled.

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"Phone ma'am," Winston said giving the cordless phone to Lara at breakfast two days later. Kurtis looked up from his bowl of oats.

"Hello?" Lara cleared her throat, a piece of toast caught.

"Hey Lara? It's Amanda. I just wanted to call to say I won't be able to come down until next month." Amanda sounded ill. "I've had to take an emergency flight back to Mississippi, for personal reasons."

"Have you found anything else out about Avalon?" Lara asked.

"Some different entry points, but that's all really. I'll find out more now I'm in the states." Amanda coughed. "I'll call you later in the week or something."

"Alright Amanda." Lara sighed. "I'll see you when you get back,"

"Okay, bye Lara," And the line went dead.

"Change of plans?" Kurtis asked, seeing Lara's annoyed face.

"Amanda has pissed off back to America." Lara grumbled. She chewed on another piece of toast. "She'll be back sometime next month,"

"So that puts our plans on hold yeah?"

"_Our_ plans?" Lara's eyebrow shot up.

"I told you, I'm helpin' ya." Kurtis replied.

"And _I _told you, you are not," Lara snapped back. "I don't need your help Kurtis."

"Whether you want it or not, you're still going to get it," Kurtis finished his breakfast and stood up. "Even if you need it or not." And he stalked from the room. Lara stared after him, speechless, for a moment. The cheek of it.

"That went well," Zip commented from where he sat next to Alister, eating his breakfast. Lara rolled her eyes and too, left the room.

"Kurtis Trent!" Lara snapped. Kurtis was halfway up the stairs and he turned around to look at her.

"Hey there, sweetheart."

"Don't _do_ that!" Lara scowled as she climbed the stairs to face him. "No bloody pet names! You say you're here to help, that you're actually here for a reason."

"I am,"

"And what is that reason, Mr Trent? Why do you insist upon staying around me? Insist on being here?"

"For this reason," And he took out his Boran X from the holster at his side and pointed it in Lara's direction. He fired.

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**Thanks to : **

**EmDeSea**

**Pen-a-holic**


	4. Unwelcome guests

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Four**

**- Unwelcome Guests - **

The bullet whizzed straight past Lara's ear and behind her, she heard impact and a dull thud as something heavy fell on the ground. She turned and saw a man, dressed in back, crumpled on the floor, a bullet wound to the head. She then took her guns from her holsters she was wearing (planning to go to her assault course after breakfast). She crept forwards and crouched by the body, putting a gun between her knees, she searched his pockets. Finding nothing she stood up, her gun back in her left hand. "Nothing," She told Kurtis and she walked back up the stairs to stand by him.

"Coward," Kurtis snorted at the body, "He was gunna getcha when your back was turned."

"I do have an unfair advantage," Lara shrugged, not particularly fazed.

"And that is?" Kurtis' eyebrows were high.

"I have you,"

"So you're acceptin' my help?" Kurtis was smirking and Lara couldn't help but smile.

"I'm accepting your help," She replied. She looked around. "Do you think there are any more?"

"Probably," Kurtis' face turned serious. "He seemed like a merc, and mercenaries never attack on their own."

"This is my home," Lara snarled. "It looks like I have a few unwelcome guests to – "

The rest of her sentence was cut off by Alister and Zip running into the room, make-shift weapons in their hands. "Trouble?" Alister asked with a frying pan in his hand.

"Mercs," Kurtis said. He concentrated on the golden disc at his side and it pulled free of it's bindings, the blades shooting out. It bathed them all in orange light.

"Fun," Zip's voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Don't we just love Mercenaries in the morning?"

"Not particularly." Lara said as the Chirugai span off towards the bedrooms. Kurtis was strangely quiet, after a moment or two, he seemed to 'wake up'.

"You have three Mercs outside in your drive, two in your room and one in Alister's… Where's Winston?"

"Winston went…" Lara blinked. "He went outside to feed Rusty and Blossom,"

"Shit, right… Alister and Zip… will you be okay cleanin' out the bedrooms? Me and Lara can go outside and see where Winston's got himself to," Kurtis said, he turned to Lara and smiled apologetically. "I've just used my Farsee ability, if I do it again right now, I might collapse." Alister and Zip walked past him, looking apprehensive.

"And we don't want that," Lara nodded. "We'll do this old fashioned way then."

"Guns blazin'?" Kurtis grinned.

"Of course,"

"My favourite," And he followed Lara down the stairs and out the front door.

As soon as the door was opened, a bullet thudded somewhere three centimetres above Lara's head into the wooden door. Lara snarled and rolled, bullets missing her by a hairsbreadth, she came to a stop, her two pistols aimed perfectly at two mercenaries. Her eyes narrowed.

"Give me one reason to shoot, and I swear I will," She hissed. She heard the click of a gun and a cold barrel pressed into her temple.

"You do, you die," Said the concealed third mercenary. Swearing to herself, she looked up at him, hating him without even knowing his name… and not particularly caring either.

She then heard the remarkably familiar sound of Kurtis' Boran X being taken off safety, and the pressure on her temple lessened somewhat.

"Now, now, gents," Kurtis drawled. "This won't do at all, we should try to talk this out, why are you tryin' to harm our beautiful friend here? Hmm? What's your name man?" He asked the mercenary he had his gun pointed at.

"Matthews." The mercenary answered through gritted teeth. "You should know Trent."

Lara tried to keep her guns steady, pointing at the other two mercenaries, but she found she was beginning to shake. "What's he talking about Kurtis?" She demanded.

"Mr Trent has been – ugh!" The rest of his sentence was cut short as Kurtis hit him cleanly with his gun, knocking him unconscious.

"Oh dear," Kurtis intoned.

"I thought we were going to 'talk this out'?" Lara asked him, her eyebrow high.

"My hand slipped." He tried to help Lara to her feet but she shrugged him off and rose herself, eyes steely upon the other two mercenaries.

"Where's Winston?" She snapped, ignoring Kurtis who had stepped up behind her, his gun still drawn. The Chirugai was still missing, probably within the house still, being controlled by Kurtis and, seeing as Alister and Zip were still inside, Lara was having a hard time deciding whether that was a good or bad thing, especially if Mr Trent had something to do with his attack. She silently swore that if he did, she would kill him.

"The old man?" The mercenary on the right asked. "We locked him in the stables. Boss said we're not to –"

"Shut up!" The mercenary on the left elbowed him, making him wince. "They're not supposed to know!" They were both American, as opposed to Matthews who was British.

"Well we _are_ held at gunpoint!" The one on the right turned to his colleague. "I value life over money."

"But–"

"But nothing!" The first mercenary seemed like he was going to explode. "I've had enough of you and Matthews being so high and mighty! 'Oh look at me! I've got my head up R-'"

"SHUT UP!"

Kurtis laughed and pointed at the arguing pair. "Like a married couple!" He said. Lara turned to face him, her guns still pointing at the mercenaries.

"How does Matthews know you?" She asked, eyes blazing.

"Same basketball team?" Kurtis offered.

Lara shook her head. "Not going to work."

"Look, whatever. I'll tell you later–"

"No, tell me now," Lara lowered one of her guns, not paying attention, but at Kurtis' prompting, she raised it again.

"We haven't got time Croft!" Kurtis said with a meaningful side-glance at the mercenaries. "I promise I'll tell you later but right now," He looked at the mercenaries. "You get the general idea."

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!" The mercenary on the right shouted, throwing his weapon into the gravel. "RUTLAND NEVER SAID _ANYTHING _ABOUT SECRECY!"

"Rutland?" Lara and Kurtis looked at each other, eyebrows raised then Lara scowled and looked back at the two Mercenaries. "Rutland's dead."

"Rutland senior." Kurtis said with a shake of his head.

"What would he want?" Lara frowned.

"You killed James Rutland," Kurtis replied. "His dear old papa isn't too chuffed with you."

"Alright," Lara turned to the mercenaries "HEY!"

They stopped in mid-sentence, both with their guns on the floor and they graced Lara and Kurtis equal looks of irritation. "What?"

Lara laughed. "Not very good Mercs are you?" She looked at the guns pointedly. They both stared at the weapons on the floor and scrambled to get them but Lara and Kurtis fired simultaneously, the mercenaries falling, and lying motionless on the gravel.

Instantly, Kurtis and Lara turned on each other, Kurtis, with his Boran X under Lara's chin and one of Lara's pistols against his. They were both staring daggers at each other.

"You have five seconds to explain," Lara hissed. "Five"

"Since when are you callin' the shots?"

Lara grinned and tapped her second pistol in her left hand against his crotch. Kurtis winced.

"Ah, since then," He mumbled. He shook his head.

"Four," Lara hissed. "I'm not afraid to shoot… but which gun shall I use?"

"Alright dammit!" Kurtis was beginning to sweat. "I've done some undercover mercenary work. Matthews knows me from that."

"And why? Are you still with them?" Lara queried. "Three."

"Lara–"

"Answer me!"

"Yes! I was undercover! Croft! You have to believe me!" Kurtis seemed to be getting very desperate. "I'm not the sorta common scum like Matthews that you find stuck to rocks." He stared at Matthews with his blue eyes.

"Then why are you here?" Lara's eyes narrowed again. "Two,"

"When I heard what the mercenaries where told to do, I knew that you were about to bear the brunt of a merc-attack with no forewarnin'," Kurtis said. "I couldn't tell ya 'cause I was worried I was bein' watched."

"What are you saying?"

"I came here to protect you Lara," Kurtis looked straight into Lara's eyes. "No one else knew, I broke into the files and found your number, how Rutland got it, I don't know but I came here as fast as possible."

"One," The gun in Lara's right hand slowly drew back and Kurtis sighed in relief but the gun in Lara's left hand was thrust forward and into his manhood. He doubled over in agony and Lara placed a boot on his shoulder and kicked him down.

She squatted down to look at him. "That was a warning, don't ever lie to me again." And she stood up, not looking back as she walked to the stables.

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	5. A Stranger

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Five**

**- A Stranger - **

"Bitch," Kurtis grumbled tying the immobile Matthews to a chair in the dining room.

"You _did_ deserve it," Lara countered leaning back in the chair she was sitting on and looking out the window, into the garden, where it had just started to rain again. "Should've told me,"

"It's _not_ my fault." Kurtis retorted. "I was riskin' both out necks just bein' here."

"Then why did you come?"

"To protect you!" Kurtis secured the knot. "You know this. To be honest, you meant more to me than money."

"You say that in the past tense." Lara noticed and Kurtis snorted.

"That was before you decided to shove a lump of metal in my crotch." He said and Lara gave a delicate laugh.

"I'm sorry but you were asking for it." She said. She stood up and sat on the table in front of Matthews, a hand toying with her braid. After five minutes, she sighed and looking at Kurtis who was sulking near the doorway. "I'm bored. Wake him up,"

Kurtis grinned. "Give him time," He stood by Lara staring at Matthews. "I gave him a good hard smack."

"Why did you do that anyway?" Kurtis edged away from Lara a little.

"Was better to hear it from the horses mouth," Kurtis replied. "And to tell you I was undercover."

"Why be undercover?" Lara queried, curious. Kurtis shrugged.

"A cousin of mine, Luisiana, joined them, available for hire and I've been searchin', as a favour to my aunt." He said, playing with the Chirugai he had called back. "She's pretended to be male but… you know, it's not that easy."

"Don't I know it," Lara rolled her eyes. She looked at Kurtis, he looked harsh and unforgiving as he glared at the bound Mercenary, but when he had looked into Lara's eyes when he told her he was protecting her, all she saw was a scared insecure little boy. Maybe it was because she had a pistol pointed at his crotch but Lara knew there was more than what first met the eye.

Kurtis saw her looking and his eyebrows rose, a smirk spreading onto his face. Lara shook her head, she wasn't about to let him think she was ogling him. She wasn't, she was just trying to sort tings out in her mind.

She definitely didn't trust him.

She definitely didn't want him.

Did she?

No! Lara shook her head. No, she didn't want him, just because he was the only man who didn't seem to be afraid of her, it sparked of a sense of, perhaps, understanding, on both parts.

In fact, although she would never admit it, Lara croft was somewhat afraid of Kurtis Trent. His gaze, his manner, the way he used the Chirugai with practised skill and the way that no matter what he had done, she could always find it in her heart to forgive him.

She smiled at that thought and looked up as Alister, Zip and Winston came in, followed by three other hard-done by mercenaries. Alister still held his frying pan, with a slightly crazed look in his eye. Lara wondered how they had managed it, and made a mental note to give them all a raise.

"The others," Winston said with a smile.

"Hello lads," Lara said, slipping off the table and walking towards the mercenaries. Her pistols were back in her hands and as she approached, she saw the mercenary in the middle fiddle with something in his pocket. He gave Lara a terrified look and brought a small vial to his lips, as the clear liquid was swallowed, the mercenary collapsed on the floor and began to convulse, blood red froth foaming at his mouth and then, without a sound, he became still.

"How messy," Lara sighed. She turned to Winston. "I am sorry you had to see that,"

"Quite alright Lara," Winston said, although it was obvious he was trying to keep his composure.

"Coward," One of the other mercenaries muttered.

"So you'd like to give us your vials, to avoid any… ah, accidents?" Kurtis asked, an eyebrow high. He held his hand out to the other two mercenaries. The one who had spoken gave Kurtis a look of pure loathing.

"Traitor," He seethed. "Why did you stop trying to further yourself? Why stop gaining? Turncoat!"

"I quit 'cause I wanted to… for personal gain if you will… I didn't treasure bein' killed by someone I had no qualms with." He said. "And what do you mean by Turncoat? Mercenaries come and go as they please."

"Not anymore Trent," The mercenary laughed. "Things are changing. We're a guild now... thick as thieves we are – ("Got that right," Kurtis whispered in Lara's ear) – you know? It's better that we do the weeding of the members now… keeping the loyal close and disposing of the filth like you. You used to be a money-grabbing guy… what happened? Why you declined this job, I never knew but its all so obvious now… you prefer swooning ladies don't you Trent? You prefer letting them think you're the hero… then _bam_, strike while they're in your bed. A modern day Casanova… love 'em and leave 'em."

"Leave him alone," Lara snapped. She stepped forwards before she even knew what she was doing. "Stop trying to find a fault in others, you and your friends are bad enough… leave Kurtis out of this."

"Oi, oi!" The other mercenary cried out. "Nice one there Trent! That one answers back… harder to tame."

"Alister, phone the damn police… I can't be bothered." And Lara left the room. Her face was bright red.

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The balcony overlooked Lara's assault course and Kurtis leant on the barrier, exhaling plumes of blue smoke into the night's sky. He flicked ash from the tip of his cigarette into a pool of water below, where it settled.

Kurtis looked down at his distorted reflection and sighed.

All his life, he had never done a single thing for himself. Dragging his body through the day-to-day grind was for no one, let alone himself. Searching for Eckhardt was more for his father's sake. Coming to the Croft mansion? For Lara, to know she was safe.

But was he not happy in the knowledge that Lara was happy and safe? Was it not as much for him as it was for her?

Without even realising, Kurtis dropped his whole cigarette off the balcony and into the pool below, where it was extinguished with a hiss. He closed his eyes and let out a low whistle, allowing it to become a tune he knew but didn't remember.

He was so deep in the tune that he didn't notice Lara come up behind him and stand, staring at his bare back, listening intently. It was a sad, melancholy sort of tune, which reminded Lara of weariness and indigo nights, but it also reminded her of love.

"Kurtis?" She whispered. As the tune faltered, stopped and Kurtis turned back to look at her, frowning a little, Lara realised, for the first time, there was a complete stranger in her home.

His dark hair was over his face, bangs falling into his glittering blue eyes, which spoke of years of hardship and discontent. He didn't carry wither his Boran X or his Chirugai. And that meant one of two things, he was a fool, or he felt safe… or both.

"Lara," The smirk was back, chasing away the previous pensive Kurtis, the one Lara didn't know.

"I seem to have lured you into a false sense of security," She said with a mirror of his own smirk.

Kurtis looked at his defenceless form and laughed. "Just showin' you that I trust you."

That shocked Lara, it definitely wasn't the answer she expected to hear. "You trust me?"

"Probably against my better judgement but… yeah, I suppose I do," He laughed at her shocked face.

"Even what happened this morning? With the gun?"

"Even after that, it's not your fault you're impulsive and violent," Kurtis leant backwards on the barrier. Lara's mouth dropped open.

"Impulsive and V-" Lara shut her mouth and thought for a moment. She smiled.

"See?" Kurtis grinned. Lara sighed and joined him, looking down at the glittering pool in her assault course. "I'm sorry,"

"What for?" She looked at him.

"For not tellin' you," Kurtis grimaced. "I think I've learnt my lesson."

"Bet you did too," Lara laughed and she looked over at Kurtis. He still had his back against the barrier. He had his eyes closed, perhaps thinking about something, perhaps not. Without truly knowing why, Lara's eyes moved to his torso. To the easy muscles under scarred skin. Thinking about those scars, Lara frowned. She recognised the shapes of a few scars… gunshot wounds, dotted around his chest, three knife wounds. But there was a curious-looking newer scar on his abdomen. He saw her looking and smiled.

"Likin' my game of dot-to-dot?" He asked casually. Lara stepped closer.

"I never knew you were so scarred." She said with a frown. Her finger pointed to one on his shoulder. "Who shot you?"

"My cousin, when we were younger. Got hold of her dads handgun." Kurtis replied with a roll of his eyes.

"And this one?" Lara motioned to a long scar across his chest from his collarbone to the bottom of his ribcage.

"Barbed wire." He answered, unflinching. "Runnin' from my neighbour's dog… I hate dogs."

"And what about this?" Her fingertips brushed the scar on Kurtis' abdomen and he caught her hand with his, as if she had tickled him. He pulled her closer.

"Boaz," His breath came out short, as if he was wounded again. "Speared me straight through… I'm lucky to be here… or at least, that's what the doctors said,"

"I'm glad you're here, Kurtis." Lara said. Her heart was pounding against her chest, so loud that she was sure Kurtis could hear it.

He laughed. "I'm glad to be here, believe it or not, but I'm happy in the knowledge that you want me here,"

Lara nodded. "I do want you here," Kurtis let go of her hand and she traced the huge barbed wire scar, up to rest at the nape of his neck.

His hands touched her waist, tentatively and drew her closer to him. "There's no place I'd rather be." His breath was hot on her cheek.

"That's okay then isn't it?" Lara breathed. Kurtis leant in to kiss her but just as he did so, the door burst open and Alister bounded in, he stumbled to a stop. He gave Kurtis a look of pure jealousy and then smiled at Lara, although it was half-hearted.

"You have a phone call Lara," He said, he passed the phone to Lara as Kurtis rolled his eyes and turned back to the waters.

"Hello?" Lara asked as she put the receiver to her ear.

"Hey Lara? It's Amanda." She didn't sound much better than she did in the last conversation, just that morning. "I just called to say that there's been a slight change of plan again. I'm in a slight bit of trouble here… I've found some information but those who hold this info are not the friendly kind. Lara I'm begging you, you have to help… you have to –"

And the line went dead.

"Amanda? Amanda!" Lara yelled into the phone. She threw it back to Alister. "Get her back."

"She didn't leave her number."

Lara paced, her thoughts whispering bids for attention all at once. She closed her eyes and made a split-second decision. "We're going to Mississippi." She said. Alister gave her a nod and scuttled off. Lara turned back to Kurtis and he gazed back at her with those ocean blue eyes of his, he shook his head and walked past Lara when it was apparent the moment was gone.

"G'night," He whispered and he left her alone to her thoughts.


	6. Alister's Problem

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Six**

**- Alister's Problem - **

"You own a jet," Kurtis sounded slightly amazed.

"Like it?" Lara grinned at him. He continued staring at the sleek white get that sat comfortably in the runway.

"You own a jet," He repeated.

"Actually, I own three," Lara shrugged. "But this one is my favourite… if we have to travel at all, we must at least travel in style."

"Three!?"

"But one of them is in a sheer state of disrepair," Said Alister as he joined them by the jet.

"Alister?" Lara looked at him incredulously. "What are you doing here? I thought you hated fieldwork?"

"No, not at all Lara," Alister glanced at Kurtis. "I just… don't treasure the thought of dodging spiky death in one of your beloved ruins. No, I'd much prefer being at home with a nice cup of tea, thank you very much,"

"Well, we can't promise we wont be avoiding death in America." Lara warned. She hitched up her rucksack, which hung on one shoulder. "Sure you want to come?"

"I have to make sure you're alright," Alister ventured but Lara just smiled.

"But I have Kurtis and his Chirugai to keep me company," She said. "What of my little-ear-people?"

"Zip's still at home," Alister grinned. "Along with Winston, I can keep you and your American up to date with this." He patted a bag at his side that no doubt held his laptop.

"'Her American' has a name," Kurtis grumbled.

"Oh, Sorry, I can keep you and _monkey-boy _up to date," Alister smiled.

"Jerk," Kurtis snapped.

"Bastard,"

"ENOUGH!" Lara yelled as Kurtis went to retort. "Alister, that was uncalled for! And Kurtis, stop taking everything he says so seriously! Now get on the goddamn plane or do I have to send you both home with smacked bottoms?"

The pilot couldn't stop laughing, or he couldn't until Lara shot him a look that could kill.

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Kurtis opened his eyes to find a dead weight on his arm. He blinked twice, yawned and looked to his side. What he saw warmed his heart and he smiled.

Lara sat next to him, her arms wrapped around his arm she had her head pillowed on. She was sound asleep. Judging by the light, or the lack of it, coming from the window next to him, they had only been in the air fir a few hours. He drew his arms around Lara, tighter and looked out the window. He had almost forgotten about Alister until he heard the whir of a computer modem.

Alister was at his computer, looking at some obscure file or something, Kurtis desperately hoped it wasn't porn.

"You're awake," Alister said, without taking his eyes from the screen.

"I'm awake," Kurtis replied. "Your computer don't help,"

"Sorry," Although he didn't sound it. Kurtis sighed.

"Alister, have I done anythin' to upset ya?" Kurtis asked gently. Alister gave him a stony look.

"Don't be idiotic, you know why I am upset,"

"I do?"

"I've been working for Lara for the better part of two years now, helping her when she'd needed it, giving her a shoulder to cry on… and then, suddenly, you come along, and since, I haven't been able to tell her exactly how I feel." Alister said, pausing in his typing.

"And how do you feel?" Kurtis had already assumed the answer.

"Isn't it obvious, Trent? I love her," Alister gazed at Lara. "I have done from the moment I saw her,"

"Does she know?"

"Haven't you been listening? I haven't had a chance to tell her." It was only Lara being asleep that prevented Alister from shouting. "And you come along and have her in your arms within a week! What is your secret Kurtis Trent?"

Kurtis shook his head. "No secret."

"Do you love her?"

Ah, the tricky one. He looked down at Lara, at her content sleepy smile, at the way she breathed as her dreams came to her. He remembered the tome he had first clapped his eyes on her and he instantly knew that she would be the one to help him. But he never even contemplated the fact that he would fall in love with her.

"Despite everythin' she's put me through…" Kurtis kissed Lara on the forehead. "I do,"

Alister nodded, understanding. "I understand… Kurtis?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't hurt her," And Alister smiled, going back to his computer.

"I don't intend to," Kurtis closed his eyes and rested his head on Lara's.

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**Thanks to:**

**TangoFever – **Happy new year to you too! Indeed with the shaking fist.

**Nightwish – **Thanks! I never really thought that Lara was too Laraish, thanks! Well, Zip and Alister are only there to be annoying anyways

**Pen-a-holic **– Kurtis and Lara smoochyness is always good:P

**NFI – **It seems everyone hates Alister. Thanks for reviewing even if your computer does give you hell for it. Don't worry. I shall read :D


	7. Melissa

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Seven**

**- Melissa - **

Lara stepped off the jet and sighed, the sunlight scowling down at her. She felt as if someone had got the bright idea that a sledgehammer connected with her skull would be a truly remarkable plan. Her head was in complete agony.

"Ugh," Kurtis panted, stumbling down the stairs. He landed in a heap on the floor. "Can we go home yet?"

Lara squatted beside him and blinked away her tears of agony. "We've only just got here… if you're not well, go back on the plane. Sleep it off."

"Nah, I'll be alright in a few." Kurtis scrambled to his feet, his face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, "But to be completely one hundred percent honest… I feel like shit."

"Well," Lara's eyebrow was arched high in scepticism. "If you're sure. Don't slow me down Kurtis. I'm not going to lose my only lead."

"I'm _not_ gonna slow you down.," Kurtis growled. He thought for a moment. "Alister volunteered to stay onboard and keep in touch with us on our search."

"All that fuss and bother and he decides to stay in the plane after all! Sometimes I could swing for him."

Kurtis only smiled.

"You can pack that in as well!" It was clear that Lara was feeling particularly tetchy that morning.

Kurtis tried to stop smirking, he really did, but it didn't work very well. "Where to now?" He asked instead.

"We have one contact here in Mississippi… from what I remember anyway. She doesn't live that far. We'll get a taxi."

"Haven't been in a good ol' fashioned yellow cab in months," Kurtis said happily.

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Kurtis passed the driver a couple of dollars and followed Lara out the taxi. "Cheers dude!" He called with a grin. Lara rolled her eyes and walked towards the house they had been dropped off at.

It was a large building, mostly white, with a black tiled roof, it was several stories high and looked ancient. As Lara approached the black front door, Kurtis put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you completely sure about this?" He asked urgently. He still looked haggard, but the urgency in his tone cancelled it out.

"No but we haven't go much choice have we?" Lara looked up at the house. "I haven't seen Melissa in a while… I know no one else here."

"It's just… I'd hate it if anythin' happened to you, especially if it was somethin' that could've been avoided." Kurtis followed Lara's gaze, his sense of foreboding increasing.

"Kurtis Trent… are you worried about me?" Lara smiled up at him.

"I've said my piece." Kurtis shrugged. "I'm just lookin' out for you Lara."

"It's appreciated." Lara replied but she went into the barren garden anyway.

"If not noted." Kurtis sighed under his breath before he followed her.

Lara rang the doorbell and stepped backwards respectfully, her hands clasped behind her back. Her knuckles were white.

The door opened exactly thirteen seconds later, which Kurtis did not like. He never really did like the number thirteen. It always meant something bad was going to happen.

A woman, perhaps five years Lara's senior, stood in the doorway. She had a pretty face, very kind and long red hair, her eyes were bright green. She wore a stunning black velvet dress with long flowing sleeves and a huge black gothic pentagram hung around her neck. She eyes widened in shock.

"_Lara_?" She cried. She flung herself at the Tomb Raider, tears streaming from her emerald eyes. "Lara Croft, where _have_ you been!?"

"Nice to see you again Melissa." Lara said with a mouthful of red hair. "I trust you have been well?"

"Fabulous!" Melissa beamed. She looked over Lara's shoulder at Kurtis. "I don't think we've met."

"I'm Kurtis Trent, Lara's – " Kurtis started.

"Fiancé," Lara burst in. Kurtis gave her an incredulous look. "Longest relationship so far, can you believe he hasn't tried to kill me yet? Shocking."

"I would never –!" Kurtis decided to play along.

"I know you wouldn't sweetie," Lara looked very relieved. She turned back to Melissa. "He's been taking me ring shopping. But he was kind of lax with the budgeting and now we have no money for a hotel, we would hate to impose but we have no where else to go." As she spoke, with her hands behind her back, she took one of the rings off her index finger and slotted it onto the appropriate finger.

Melissa laughed. "Oh Lara, don't be so stupid! Of course you can stay, come on in, I'll just sort out a room or two… you don't mind sleeping alone do you?"

Kurtis was about to object when Lara cut across him again. "Whatever is good for _you_ Melissa." She said happily.

"I'll sort out one room to begin with, if you do not like the arrangements, I'll be happy to change them," She smiled, ushered the pair into the sitting room and then left to go upstairs.

Kurtis stared at Lara for a moment.

"Yes?" She asked him after a while.

"Sweetie!?"

Lara rolled her eyes and sat down. Kurtis flopped down next to her. "Why didn't you warn me?"

"I forgot what she was like. She's a man-eater, married three times, engaged four times, the men always left with a broken heart." Lara explained. "Plus, we needed a back-up story."

"So you said all that to save my heart?" Kurtis grinned. "Thanks Lara, I never knew you cared."

"You didn't complain before. I'm sure you almost objected when she said something about separate rooms." Lara returned his smile.

"Yeah, well… Um… It's… safer for us to stay together… isn't it?" He saved, he seemed quite proud of himself.

"Silly boy,"

"Silly girl,"

"I'm not silly. In fact I thought I was being quite clever." Lara scowled.

"I know darlin'," Kurtis smirked. "You just think that."

Lara ignored him, stood up and put her head in her hands, closing her eyes. "Ugh, my head is pounding."

"Take an aspirin." Kurtis suggested.

"Never been one for painkillers," Lara winced and straightened up. Her eyes were determined. "Not for anything less than a gunshot wound."

"And you'd hate to break a trend?" Kurtis nodded and suddenly laughed. "When Boaz got me, the hospital pumped me so full of drugs, I didn't know who I was." He looked at her. "Come here."

Lara sighed and sat on the black leather sofa next to him. "What?"

"We'll find Amanda, don't worry." He said gently. Lara looked at him, her eyes worried.

"If we don't?" She asked.

"We will," His answer was quick.

"But what if we don't?"

"Don't think like that." He replied, he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "He have to think positively." And he slowly leant in.

"Well then, who wants coffee?" Melissa said from the doorway. Kurtis sat straight up and smiled.

"I do Melissa." He said, trying to hide his irritation.

"Yes please," Lara smiled brilliantly.

Melissa gave a nod and wandered off in the direction of the kitchen. Kurtis rolled his eyes, but even that hurt. He blinked as his vision began to swim and he caught hold of Lara's arm, breath becoming short.

"Kurtis? Are you okay? Kurtis?" The last thing he remembered was the ground rushing up to meet him and everything went completely black. Typical.

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**Thanks to:**

**TangoFever – **Smacked bottoms are always funny. Especially when it's Kurtis and Alister getting the bollocking.


	8. Childhood friends

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Eight**

**- Childhood Friends -**

He woke up in a soft, warm bed, on his own, staring at a pristine white ceiling as weak sunlight filtered through the netting and thin floral curtains. It looked tacky, the whole room, with blue wallpaper, slightly damp in the corners, and an even darker blue carpet that looked like it had seen better says. Despite this, the room was not dark, nor was it bright, it simply was, nothing could be said to describe the light or the lack of it, and Kurtis didn't want to spend anymore time contemplating it. Even though he didn't want to think on it, the room still made him feel claustrophobic and trapped. He found himself longing to be back at Lara's mansion, where he could lose himself in the books Lara had in her extensive collection. Normally, he wasn't a big reader, to be honest, he hated reading, but Lara had sparked something off in him. He realised that he had never felt this way for anyone before, no, Lara was different. Something he couldn't put his finger on, no matter how hard he tried.

He moved his head, trying to remember what had happened before he had lost consciousness, before he had found himself in this room, but it was painful, so he stopped. Apparently even falling unconscious and getting some rest did not help his head.

A moment later, he realised he wasn't alone.

"You've been unconscious for a while." Melissa said from next to the door. She moved forwards, revealing herself to be wearing a black semi-transparent dress that left little to the imagination. She sat on the edge of the bed, a mischievous smile was on her face. "Lara is so worried, she's been here for the last two hours… but I sent her off to get some sleep."

"She needs her rest." Kurtis replied with a smile. He feigned a yawn. "As do I."

"Don't you think you've rested enough?" Melissa laughed. "Almost four hours. You look as white as a sheet… c'mon I'll fix you up something to eat."

"I'm not hungry, but thanks anyway." Kurtis lied. He sat up. "I do, however, need to talk to my fiancée."

"Oh Kurtis, you can stop pretending." Melissa frowned. "I've known Lara long enough to know that she could never hold down a decent guy, and you seem like a decent guy."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not engaged are you? It's just a cock-and-bull story you've fed me for some reason or another, isn't it?" She put a hand suggestively on Kurtis's leg.

"W- w- we're engaged." Kurtis stammered, shifting his leg.

"Mr Trent," Melissa's eyes were bright. "It is painfully obvious that Ms Croft doesn't want you," She continued. "She is an aristocrat, and you are some unfortunate American, caught in her web, somehow under the belief that you could find someway of sweeping her off her feet."

"We love each other," Kurtis's heart was beating much quicker than usual.

"But I on the other hand… Although you may not realise it, I'm a very lonely woman. Very, very lonely, Kurtis Trent." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and her hand began to creep forwards, closer to somewhere Kurtis desperately didn't want her hand to go.

"I love her," Kurtis objected. Melissa crawled on the bed, ignoring the protest and moved towards him, pushing her face to his, soon he found he couldn't move his head back anymore, as the headboard stopped him. He also, at the same time, found that he didn't particularly want to. It had been a long time, and well… what would happen?

Her lips were soft and cool, almost physically begging Kurtis to accept her plea, and he complied, his mouth opening and his tongue slipping into her mouth to meet hers. Her body began to lower and Kurtis started to hitch up her skirt, while her hands reached for his belt.

_NO!_ Kurtis opened his eyes and threw Melissa off him roughly, before he even knew what he was doing, or even thinking. She slipped off the bed, her eyes narrowed.

"I love Lara," Kurtis shrugged, helpless. "I'm sorry Melissa. I'm gonna be honest, I owe you that much. The fact that me and Lara are engaged is a lie, but the fact that I love her is not. Please, Melissa, please… don't make me do anythin' that will make me believe I have betrayed her."

Melissa smiled after a moment, and straightened her skirt. "You're a rare one Kurtis Trent," She said. "Thank you, I know all I've wanted to."

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"He's trustworthy." Melissa said as she entered Lara's room.

"See? I told you," Lara smiled triumphantly and leant back on her bed, she caught sight of Melissa's attire and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't try to seduce him did you?"

"I did," Melissa smiled.

"And did it work?"

"Nah, I'm thinking he has a little jewel somewhere in his heart." Melissa sighed and sat on the bed. "How'd you meet him?"

"I saw him first in Paris, but we spoke later in Prague. He locked me in a bloody air lock." Lara laughed. "We have met before, but I don't think he remembers."

"Oh really? Gossip! Do tell!" Melissa sat opposite Lara, just has they used to do when they were children, Melissa clutching a cushion to her chest with an idiotic grin on her face.

Lara giggled again. "Well, my father, when he wasn't too busy with trying to find mother, took me over to the Utah Salt Flats for a visit. It turned out that my father was actually friends with Kurtis's father, Konstantin. My father was offering his condolences after Kurtis's mother's death, but I remember it well. Kurtis is a little younger than I but we still spent most our time together. Kurtis was a little quiet, which I think you can understand. Such a change from now."

"That's actually sweet." Melissa cooed.

"When I was about to leave, Kurtis didn't want me to go. He was a lonely child, with few friends. I remember promising him to see him again but I somehow knew I wouldn't."

"But you did,"

"By pure chance," Lara smiled. "When he began to come out of his shell to me, he was such an energetic child… he still has that but he is more… melancholy than he used to be,"

"He grew up,"

"Don't we all?" Lara sighed. "It's nice having a guy like him around. He doesn't care if he insults me, or annoys me, or gets in the way. It's a refreshing change from people bending over backwards to make me happy."

Melissa laughed. "So basically he's an asshole?"

"No," Lara smiled and hit Melissa with the cushion she held. "He can be a… a… well, a sweetheart, I guess. He looks out for me, sometimes when he drops his guard, I can see inside… how scared he is."

"He is fairly secretive." The American woman agreed. "I get that part."

"Sometimes I'm worried that he has another motive for wanting to help me." Lara confided. "I don't know why he'd risk his life for me."

"He just wants to help." Melissa gave a secret smile. "Do you not trust him?"

"I do but I just… can't shake this feeling that I have. That something is not adding up." Lara put a hand to her head. "It doesn't help that I'm still feeling terrible… my head."

"Want any painkillers?"

"No,"


	9. Prophesy

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Nine**

**- Prophesy -**

Everything hurt… His head, eyes legs, arms, muscles, torso… everything was in some sort of pain.

Kurtis blinked as the sunlight, brighter than yesterday's, fell across his face as a cloud shifted. He coughed and purposefully rolled fully off the bed, blinking profusely as if that would make the headache go away. He landed on his stomach, painfully, arms to weak to hold his weight.

"For fucks sake," He moaned. He sat up and put his head in his hands. "Just quit it already."

Just as he began to struggle to his feet, Melissa burst into his room, face worried. "Kurtis! Something's wrong with Lara!"

Instantly, all pain forgotten, he jumped to his feet, motioned (hurriedly) for Melissa to lead the way, and she complied, running along the corridor, Kurtis close behind her. "I was bringing you and her some coffee, to wake you up, but when I got to Lara's room… it was… Oh Kurtis… it was like she was having a fit!"

Kurtis let out a frustrated sigh and sprinted the remaining way, his Farsee telling him where to go. He felt Lara's distress like a splinter in his mind. Melissa was close on his heels.

He burst into Lara's room and ran straight to her side. Her limbs were twitching, her eyes were rolling and her skin was feverish. It scorched him as he put his hand on her arm.

Without a care for his own safety, he then clambered on the bed, and pulled Lara into his arms, her head against his chest. Placing a hand on her forehead, he mumbled a Latin incantation, and Melissa saw his knuckles go white, then his whole hand began to glow, but only a little, as if the sun was shining on it.

Gradually, Lara's twitching stopped and Kurtis gave a sigh like an explosion.

Melissa just stared at him. "You're the last one," She said after a few minutes of silence.

He ignored her.

"You're the last of the Lux Veritatis!" Melissa grabbed his arm. She recited some Latin and Kurtis gave her a sharp look.

"Shut up. I ain' a pawn in any prophesy!" He snapped. Lara stirred a little, eyelids twitching.

"'He who is the last of the light takes from shadow and begins a new order with The Chosen One.'" Melissa repeated in English that time. "For years, my friends… no… my brothers and sisters of my coven have believed I, to be said Chosen One."

Kurtis gave her a withering look. "I don't believe in prophesy. I make my own damn fate." He looked at her for a moment and then he snorted. "Are you tryin' to tell me that you're a witch?"

"I am the priestess of my coven." Melissa took a step forward. "I am orphaned, I am misunderstood, in everything I do, I am isolated from those I live with and around and I have a brooch from my mom, with exactly the same prophesy carved in the back." Melissa ticked off all these things with her fingers. "Doesn't it add up?"

"What about the grievin' for me? The stash of priceless artifices said to aid you on your conquest for your crown? Your everlastin' love for the last of the Lux Veritatis? If you are who you say, prove it! Show me these trinkets! Prove to me that you have been touched by supernatural powers! Prove that you are the one I am fated to love forever Melissa! Prove it!" He snapped, showing he knew the prophesy just as well as Melissa did.

"The brooch – "

"Could've been misplaced! Your mother could've bought it from an antique shop years before you were born! I need solid proof!" Kurtis scowled at Melissa, holding Lara close to his chest. "Show me your powers!"

"The spirits–"

"The spirits won't allow you to use your powers unless it is a dire circumstance?" He snorted. "Bullshit,"

"What about your present malady? All those touched by the supernatural, at the time of Shadow Rising are infected by such a curse. They steadily grow worse until the shadow has risen."

"You've just dropped yourself right in it!" Kurtis laughed. "You're not ill."

"I've concocted a potion that counters the effects. My coven has already used it and they seem to be fine." Melissa smiled as Kurtis's face darkened. "Why not trust me?"

"And what about Lara?"

"You're not meant to be together,"

"I didn't mean that Melissa. She is also ill, the worst out of the three of us," Kurtis growled.

Melissa shrugged. "I'll fetch the potion. I'll give some to Lara, see if it helps her. Doubt it though," And she left the room.

Kurtis watched her leave.

He sat still for about five minutes, until he decided to break the threatening silence that had surrounded him. "Pah," He rolled his eyes. "What does she know? Nothin'. She's too blind to see, blinded by the lies of her so-called siblings," His face smoothed out as he stopped scowling. He looked at Lara. "But what if she's right? What if I'm not destined to be with you?"

Then he realised the trap he had walked straight into, and he growled. "I don't believe in prophesy."

"Only when it doesn't bode well for you," Melissa had returned with two beakers of dark green liquid. She jerked her chin towards Lara. "Wake her up."

Kurtis nodded and sent his mind inside Lara's and mentally jerked her awake. Her jumped slightly in his arms and looked at Kurtis with her brown eyes puzzled. "W-what happened?"

"You went into some sort of fit," Kurtis said gently. "Melissa has some medicine that might make you better.

"Anything is better than nothing." Lara said taking a beaker, Kurtis picking up the other. She drained it and pulled a face. "That was awful."

"But it works. The pain should go way," Melissa shrugged.

Lara nodded and closed her eyes again. By the time Kurtis had finished his, she was asleep.

"She's right. It's disgustin'." Kurtis tried not to gag.

"It's not supposed to be nice! It's supposed to help! Oh and you may begin to feel a little drowsy, all the people in my coven, after drinking it, promptly fell asleep."

"After vomitin' for before?" Kurtis mumbled and he too closed his eyes.

"Oh, it's not that bad," Melissa snapped. "It's actually made of – "

What was in it, Kurtis never found out, because a second later, he was asleep.

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**Thanks to:**

**Pen-a-holic –** I see you liked that twist :D


	10. Lara's insecurity

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Ten**

**- Lara's insecurity -**

He awoke a while later, when the room was in utter darkness. He moved his head and realised that Lara was no longer in his protective arms. A few seconds later, when his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he saw her silhouette against the window, staring straight outside.

Kurtis sat up, the movement apparently alerting Lara to his consciousness, because she began to speak.

"Melissa told me things." She said quietly, almost inaudibly. "About– about… you and her. About you being together… about your prophesy."

"Did she?" He felt his stomach drop.

Lara turned to face him, her face shining with tears in the dim light filtering from under the door. "Is it so, Kurtis Trent?" Her voice was shaking. "Are you to fall in love with Melissa?"

"Lara… what are you–"

"_Answer me!_" Lara closed her eyes, clearly upset. Experimenting, Kurtis pushed his mind into hers and searched. He found no lingering sparks of physical pain, in other words, the potion had worked on her, which confused him. But she was in emotional pain and that shocked him, her despair, troubling him.

"I do not love Melissa." Kurtis said slowly.

"Will you ever?"

"I don't know. I don't believe in fate. I don't believe in prophesy and even if the prophesy is true, she can't be the Chosen One! How can I love someone I dislike so much?"

"You dislike her?"

"It's her manner," Kurtis shook his head. "I'm grateful for the place to stay but… ugh… to be honest… I don't like her, but I don't dislike her. I don't trust her… it's confusin'."

"I understand," Lara nodded. "That's how I first felt for you. That's what concerns me."

"What d'you mean?" Kurtis stood up. He felt stronger, the malady wiped from his body.

"It's nothing," Lara shook her head and looked back out the window.

"Lara," Kurtis stood right behind her, staring at the curve of her cheek, the tears glistening in the silvery moonlight. She blinked and looked down at the windowsill.

"I'm scared." She admitted. "I'm scared that we'll not find Amanda, I'm scared that Avalon will forever remain closed to us… I'm just so scared." She turned around and put a trembling hand on Kurtis's cheek. "I'm scared of being left alone, please… My Lux Veritatis Knight, don't leave me, don't leave me to find Amanda on my own."

"I wouldn't dream of it,"

Lara closed her eyes again and broke down into grateful tears. Kurtis held her in his arms wordlessly, kissed her hair and began to hum, gently stroking Lara's back until her tears finally died down and she buried her head into his shoulder, holding him close.

He held her that way for a while, his head resting on hers, with his own eyes closed. He imagined a time when all this was over and Lara went back home, but the only problem was he couldn't imagine himself to be there with her. He could imagine her alone, getting out of a black cab, a suitcase in her hand, staring at the walls with hostility. He could imagine her walking to the door and opening it, hesitating before she walked over the threshold. She looked back.

He shook his head, clearing the thought, and slowly, he led her back to the bed, where she fell asleep in his arms, exactly like she did before…

_Lara sighed and looked out the window of the cab, seeing her home loom into view. She closed her eyes reflectively and turned her head away, as if not seeing it would make it not real._

_The car came to a halt and the driver turned in his seat. "That's twenty quid sixty love." He said brashly and Lara opened her eyes, gracing him with her famous 'If it weren't illegal' look. She reached for her purse and gave him a twenty and three twenty pence pieces. Grabbing the suitcase she had brought with her, she got out the cab, staring at the place she had called home since before she could remember. The place she loathed._

_The one place she didn't want to be. Being home told her that she had given up, that she had admitted defeat and Lara Croft did not admit defeat. She shook her head. _

_Even she couldn't bring people from the grave. _

_She sighed and walked up the extensive drive, dragging the suitcase with her, thoroughly depressed. Rain clouds were forming above her, matching her hopeless mood. _

_At the door, she easily pushed it open, knowing that Winston would await her return and would leave the door unlocked in the daytime. She stared at the familiar hall, then turned to look down the drive, forehead creasing. She had thought she had heard… No, perhaps not. _

_And she walked in._

…When Kurtis woke up however, he had a hard time deciding if it was a dream or not. If he asked Lara and it turned out that it was a dream, she may get freaked out that he was having dreams about her. If not, she may just this he was a tosser for not taking the situation seriously.

He longed for _some _normality, he knew he shouldn't complain when it was handed to him.

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**Thanks to: **

**Nightwish – **Don't worry. Melissa's just a bit ditzy and self-obsessed.

**TangoFever – **I like updating! Are you complaining? I've tweeked my chapters… nearly all of them and please, continue to review.

**Pen-a-holic – **I don't wanna have to answer to the monkey!


	11. News

**A note about the last chapter: If you remove the Italics, it still makes sense; Kurtis is having a hard time deciding whether the conversation with Lara was a dream or not.**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Eleven**

**- News - **

Lara felt better, and as she packed her backpack, she knew it was because of Melissa's medicine, as awful as it tasted, it actually worked. Lara smiled and began to whistle.

"Whistle while you work eh?" Kurtis seemed to be back to his usual self. Lara was glad; she couldn't cope with him being melancholy all the time. At that time, he was cleaning his Chirugai; it was obvious he took care of it.

"You've been watching too many Disney films," Lara replied with a grin.

"Snow White is a masterpiece." He joked. "Nah, I used to baby-sit a friend's daughter and she forced me to watch Snow White, the Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin and… uhh… the one with the monster."

"Beauty and the Beast?" Lara offered, packing her magnetic grappled. She tucked a knife into her boot. She was wearing a pair of black shorts and a white tank top, a change from her usual black. Kurtis was worried she might turn Goth and start listening to Cradle of Filth. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it was just he didn't cherish the thought of Lara raiding his music collection. As long as she didn't go near the Evanescence he was fine.

"That's the fella." Kurtis nodded. "Yeah, she forced me to watch them with her, over and over again. Whenever I was babysittin',"

"Forced you at gunpoint?" Lara paused her packing to laugh at him.

"You have no idea what she was like," He said and he went back to cleaning the Chirugai.

"So you like children then?" Her voice sounded casually curious. Kurtis looked up at her.

"I guess so," He said. "You?"

"I suppose." She smiled and looked in her bag, wondering if she had forgotten anything. "Couldn't eat a whole one though."

Kurtis laughed. "Didn't see that one comin'!" He said sarcastically.

Lara laughed too, shaking her head. It felt good, just laughing with one another, not mentioning anything to do with 'prophesies'. Just the thought made Lara's blood boil.

The door opened a moment later and Melissa walked in. "How you doing?" She asked happily. Both Lara and Kurtis gave her half-hearted smiles.

"We are good Mel, thank you." Lara said. "Just about to visit the person you told me about last night."

When Kurtis gave her a surprised look, Lara smiled. "You were asleep. I didn't want to wake you." She explained.

"Oh yes," Melissa smiled. "Any thought on when you'll be back?"

"Don't wait up for us," Lara warned. "We may be gone a while. I'll call sometime tomorrow if we're not back tonight."

"Okay," Melissa smiled. "I have a circle tonight anyway so, that helps."

Lara smiled as Melissa left the room, but it faded somewhat, a few seconds later.

"Lara? You okay?" Kurtis asked her gently.

"Quite," She said. "Quite."

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"This" Lara said as Kurtis paid the driver and climbed out of the cab. "Is the home of Amanda's good friend and Melissa's ex-husband, Rod."

"Oh fun!" Kurtis smirked. The cob drove off. "Can I gossip?"

"No," Lara snapped. "Melissa might've scared you but she is still my friend."

"And Rod is - "

"An arsehole," Lara finished. "To be completely honest about it. Melissa has a habit of forming romantic attachments to complete pricks."

"You seem to forget that she tried to seduce me," Kurtis looked at Lara.

"Like I said, she has a habit of it." Lara smirked and strolled quickly to the door.

"Oh thanks Lara!" Kurtis grumbled, following her. "Really super... I think I liked you better when you were ill."

"You know you love me really." Lara replied without a thought. Kurtis stayed silent and leant on the pillar on the right side of the porch. Lara stood stock still.

"You gunna ring the stupid bell or shall I?" He asked at last.

"Something's wrong." Was her answer.

"Just ring the bell."

Lara braced herself, wrapped her hand around the chain and gave it good hard tug. A pretty normal bell chimed within the house.

"Fancy," Kurtis commented as Lara stood back.

"I suppose," Lara gave Kurtis a worried look and he sighed, walked behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He felt her relax.

"Thank You,"

"Don't mention it."

Lara straightened her back as the door creaked open and a middle-aged man poked his head around the door.

"Umm... Rod?"

"What do you two cretins want?" He demanded blinking in the steady sunlight.

"Grumpy old - Ugh!" Kurtis murmured but it quickly turned into a grunt of pain as Lara elbowed him in the stomach.

"My name is Lara and this is Kurtis...We're looking for information." Lara began but Rod cut her off.

"Sorry, but this help desk is closed." He snapped going to close the door.

"About Amanda!"

Rod paused and shot Lara a considering look. "Amanda?"

"She's missing." Lara explained and a look of worry crossed Rod's face.

"I saw her here a few days ago," Rod said. "Perhaps near a week... she said she was looking for information on the Avalon Myth. I pointed her in the right direction."

"Did she say why she had come back here in the first place?" Kurtis asked when it was apparent neither Lara or Rid were going to say anything else. Rod turned his grey eyes to Kurtis.

"She said she was in trouble and needed to get away." Rod shrugged. "I'm not one to pry,"

"If we were looking for the Myth... where would I look?" Lara queried slowly.

"If Amanda has gone missing 'cause of what I told her, I'm hardly going to send you to the same fate, Lara." Rod replied. "I'm not like that."

"I need to find her Rod. No one's seen her! Melissa said she might've come down here..."

"Melissa?" Rod smiled. "Ah, my darling ex-wife. How is she?"

"Still as loopy as ever." Lara said fondly. Kurtis rolled his eyes. "But I still need to know where Amanda went. It's important."

Rod sighed. "Alright. She went to the local library, but she wasn't alone. She had an oldish man with black and silver hair... the senator I think."

"Rutland!" Kurtis stared at Lara who stood tapping a finger against her lip.

"The plot thickens." She intoned.

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**Thanks to:**

**TangoFever – **No worries. Kurtis and Lara are fine.

**NightWish – **Yes, Melissa is pretty evil isn't she? Don't worry bout it.


	12. Women

**A note about the last chapter… I did not insult Evanescence intentionally. They're my favourite band. What I meant was the Kurtis didn't want Lara to go anywhere near the collection 'cause he's way too over protective over it. :P So stp yelling at me :( **

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Twelve**

**- Women - **

The library was a happy-looking white building, with huge double oak doors, engraved along the frames with intricate vines, but it was marred by the scrawling and carving of vandals. Lara smiled, eyes bright.

"Finally," She whispered. "A library."

"We haven't got the time to read now Lara," Kurtis said with a poke in her back. "We have to find Amanda."

"I know," She looked slightly disappointed. "Coming in?"

Kurtis smiled and followed Lara into the Library. She looked around with a small smile on her face, then stepped up to the counter. "Hey," She drawled in her best American accent. "I'm looking for a girl, near my age with short blonde hair, blue eyes and tattoos on her arms and stomach – "

"Yeah sister," The librarian put down her nail file and blew a large bubble with her gun. "That description really narrows it down."

"I have a photo." Lara fished in her pocket and retrieved a small wallet. She took out a tiny photo booth picture of her and Amanda some years ago. Kurtis looked at it curiously.

Amanda had her tongue stuck out and her arms around Lara who was laughing. Her eyes were bright with happy energy and Kurtis smiled at the impossibility of finding that happy Lara in what she had become. It was obvious Lara was laughing at the immaturity of the moment, that although they were both grown women, they still valued the time they had spent together as young adults. Kurtis guessed that Lara treasured the photo more than anything. The photo Lara was wearing a light green tank top, and her hair was pulled into her heavy braid but a necklace encircled her neck, something Kurtis had never seen before. Lara was not the jewellery kind of person.

Lara looked at the photo for a second and then handed it to the woman.

"Oh!" The librarian smiled. "Her! Yeah, she was here a few days ago, she came with the senator I think… can you believe that? She was looking up details for the Avalon Myth. Although Mr Rutland didn't really seem to understand anything that came out of her mouth."

"He didn't?" Lara frowned. "Perhaps… I don't know… that Amanda hasn't been completely honest with our friend."

"Maybe," Kurtis shook his head. "But perhaps she's been playing you for a fool."

"I'd rather not think like that." Lara stared at him for a moment and sighed.

"Yeah well, it might be wise to expect such actions from her," Kurtis frowned. "After all, she is the one that tried to kill you before."

"She was possessed." Lara whispered in case the Librarian was still listening.

"_Possessed_?" Kurtis's eyebrows shot up. Lara hit him on the arm, motioning to the Librarian with her eyes. Kurtis checked himself. "By what?"

"This… unknown entity. I don't know what it was but she picked it up in Peru, and it wasn't an entity of the friendly kind." Lara explained. "It almost killed me on more than one occasion." Lara sighed and turned back to the Librarian. "I don't suppose you could tell us what book Amanda Evert took out? It may help us with out inquiries."

"Generally speaking, I shouldn't, but seeing as you're friend's handsome, I'll give it a shot." She flashed Kurtis a smile and tapped a few keys on her computer. "Amanda Evert? Yes, we have her here, she took out a book…ugh… four days ago now called 'Myths and Monomyths,' I think we have another copy somewhere. Gimmie a few secs." And she ran off.

Kurtis grinned. "Hear that? She called me handsome,"

"If your head was any bigger, you'd collapse." Lara smiled at him. Kurtis pulled a shocked expression.

"And I thought you cared," He said, his smirk returning.

"Ah shut up." Lara giggled, despite the seriousness of their situation. "I do care and you know it."

"Course," Kurtis nodded. "You do, that's obvious," There was some sarcasm in his tone.

"I do," Lara smiled, reached up a hand and caressed the side of his face without thinking. Kurtis grabbed her hand, his face creased by bafflement.

"Lara?" He still had her hand in his hot grip, holding it gently, his thumb running along her wrist. She stepped forward without meaning to and put her other hand on his shoulder, feeling his warmth under the fabric of his T-shirt. Not for the first time, Lara wanted to see those scars again that dotted his well muscled torso, she wanted to see his body under those clothes. "Lara?" He repeated.

"I've never noticed." She said quietly, so quietly that Kurtis had to lean forwards to catch it.

"Never noticed what?" He breathed.

"How deep your eyes are," She replied. Kurtis blinked and gave a bark-like laugh.

"You've never really had a chance to gaze lovingly into my eyes, have you Lara?" He joked.

"They're so blue," She continued. "Like an ocean… deep and unfathomable."

"What d'you mean?"

"Your eyes tell the truth, Kurtis. I don't understand you, you are so deep and confusing, frustrating even. You won't let me in, you wont let me see who Kurtis Trent is. Please… Kurtis show me, let me in." Lara looked into his eyes and saw him put his guard up, the way the light dimmed in his eyes. "Why do you hide?"

"Why ask now?" Kurtis let Lara's hand fall.

"Because I need to know Trent! How are we supposed to work –"

"Your book, lady," The librarian said dumping a thick volume on the table. "You gotta ticket?"

"I have!" Kurtis said brightly, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He shuffled through some odd pieces of paper and pulled out a library card. "I think I have a few overdue books on that." He added apologetically.

The Librarian smiled and took the card, she put it under the scanner and her eyes widened. "You have books from 1992! That's incredible!"

"I've been called a lot of things but I don't think I've been called incredible… ever." She said with a cheeky grin. The girl blushed and wiped all overdue books from his card. Lara stood nearby, her face dark.

Three minutes later, they were outside Kurtis with a huge book under his arm.

"What was that about?" Lara rounded on him, her eyes blazing. Kurtis looked alarmed.

"W- w - wha-?" He stammered.

"You! Flirting with that girl like your life depended on it!" She seethed.

"It worked didn't it?" He said with his usual smirk. "We got the book didn't we?"

"Arghh!" Lara cried out in frustration. "You _are impossible_!" And she stormed off.

"Women," He rolled his eyes and followed her.

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**Thanks to:**

**EmDeSea – **LOOK LOOK! Editing chapters :D

**Pen-a-holic – **I'm writing, I'm writing… just don't make me answer to that damn monkeh!

**NFI – **Oops :S. I didn't mean to bash Evanescence. I love them, but thanks for the review.

**NightWish** – Thick plots are always goooood.


	13. Love

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Thirteen**

**- Love - **

Lara rung the doorbell, just as Kurtis ran up the garden path. Melissa opened the door and Lara stormed past her, taking the steps two at a time. "What have you done to her?" Melissa snapped at Kurtis.

"I have no idea." Kurtis replied with a shrug, he looked through the door and up the stairs, just to see Lara get to the top and disappear from sight. "I know you're havin' a circle tonight, but I promise we won't get underfoot.

"Marital problems eh, Kurtis?" She asked but he scowled heavily at her.

"This is no time for jokes Melissa." He snapped and he ran up the stairs, following Lara.

He found her in her bedroom, sitting on the bed with the book open in her hands, although it was obvious she wasn't reading it. The book was upside down. She totally ignored him as she entered the room.

"Lara?"

She looked up at him, her face and voice completely devoid of any emotion. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Do you care?" Her tone was deadly now, but Kurtis was not the one to back down from a challenge, even if was Lara doing the challenging.

"Of course I do, don't be stupid." He replied.

"So now you're calling me stupid!?" Lara threw the book on her bed and stood up, fire in those beautiful brown eyes.

"I didn't mean that!" Kurtis groaned. Lara walked straight up to him and put her hands on her hips.

"What the hell did you mean then?" She snarled venomously. "If you weren't calling me stupid, what were you saying?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I care, dammit!" Kurtis threw his arms up in frustration. "Yet you don't believe me! Why? What have I done to expect this… to deserve this?!"

"Expect what?"

"This mistrust!" Kurtis motioned between the two of them. "I have done nothin' but care for your wellbeing! I am perhaps the only one that has looked after you through the last year! Do you know how many contracts were cancelled because of me? Fifteen! And all were contracts to cause you trouble! The one contract I couldn't stop, I came down to your home to prevent!"

"Oh, so I'm supposed to thank you?"

"Yes! It would be nice for a change!"

"Pray tell… why would I thank a stalker?" Lara narrowed her brown eyes.

Kurtis choked. "A stalker!?"

"Yes Trent, a stalker! You followed me through Paris and Prague! You've been keeping tabs on me! You've been sleeping in my stable! For all I know, you've been following me since we were children!"

"We never knew each other when we were children!" Kurtis said quickly, wanting to get the upper hand on this situation.

"Yes we did!" Lara glared up at him. "Don't you remember a playmate, who came to your house, shortly after your mother's death? She came with a man who was friends with your father!"

"How did you know that?" Everything he had been guarding, the hope that he would one day see that girl again, began to crash down around his ears in a storm of Lara's words. _How?_

"Oh, Kurtis! Open your eyes! It's me! I'm the girl you used to know! Its me! Remember now?" Lara seemed desperate to make him understand. Kurtis looked inside her mind, and pushed, ever so gently into those thoughts under lock and key. Whether she knew what she was doing or not, whether she knew he was searching, she let him in and he saw it. He was the memories of a time he had never forgotten. A young Lara laughing and building a sand castle in his back garden in those tiny sand pits, while Kurtis just stared in complete wonder at how carefree she was, she was a little older but he still couldn't believe what he saw.

"You understand?" Lara asked after a moment more. It was obvious by her face that she was reliving the memories also.

Kurtis shook his head. "Why did you call me a stalker?" He didn't understand that part, all the rest was fine.

"I'm not used to people being steadfast." Lara shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps that's why my relationships never last that long."

"Well, you'd better get used to it, 'cause I'm not goin' anywhere."

Lara smiled, a beautiful beaming smile, that made his heart melt and she hugged him quickly, wordlessly, awkwardly. "You're such a good friend," She said against his chest before she turned around and picked up the discarded book again.

Friend. Kurtis winced and shook his head, bangs falling into his blue eyes. _What's the deal here_? He wanted to ask, but he held his tongue, instead, looking over Lara's shoulder as she opened the book, the right way this time.

She leafed through the pages and a smaller piece of paper fell out onto the floor. Frowning, Lara scooped it up and gave a small chortle. "It's in Amanda's handwriting." She noted and she turned it over in her hands, reading both sides.

"What does it say?" Kurtis asked.

"She says that Avalon… can now only be reached by sea, now that the last dais has been destroyed. We must take Excalibur to a certain point in the ocean and we'll be transported." Lara read. "But she doesn't know where this point is. She's heard some fragmented rumours but that's it."

"That narrows things down." Kurtis sighed. "But we can't just comb the ocean for the next fifteen years."

"I know," Lara sighed and ran her hand through her hair, pulling it out of her braid. "I'm thinking that when Amanda phoned when we were still at my mansion, she had been trying to find this out."

"But we're four days behind her, for all we know she could be dead already, or settin' a trap for you," Kurtis told her, trying to block out how attractive she looked with her hair loose and over one eye.

"So what can we do if she has set a trap?" Lara demanded.

"Amanda doesn't know that I'm with you does she?" Kurtis began and Lara's eyes narrowed at him.

"No, why? What are you thinking?"

"Well, I could, you know, scout ahead, and view things from a different angle…" Lara shook her head.

"No, Trent. No. You've risked your life for me once already and that is once too many. I'm not putting you in danger." She snapped, placing the book down on the table by her bed in case she decided to hit him with it.

"Then what else am I gonna do? I'm supposed to be your friend Lara! Am I supposed to just sit here while you go and get yourself blown up? I'm not useless! I didn't call myself the Demonhunter for nothin'!" His voice had risen to a dangerous level.

"Don't raise your voice at me Kurtis Trent!" Lara growled but his temper hit its point.

"You are one of the most infuriatin' women I ever had the misfortune to meet!" He cried, putting his head in his hands for a moment, the Chirugai twitching in its bindings at his stress, before lifting his head. He began to pace. "You're so stubborn and impulsive, you are a fantastic liar so I never have a clue if I'm comin' or goin' with you! You are rich and beautiful but that does not give you the right to treat people lower than yourself!"

"You know _nothing_ about me!" Lara shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at his chest.

Kurtis knocked Lara's hand out of the way and strode towards her, as she began to back away. She had never seen him like this. Her back pressed against the cold wall and she glared at him as he came closer.

All at once, Lara felt a wave of fear and longing surge through her, and she fought to stay under control. Her fingertips were pressed against the wall and her eyes were staring determinedly at Kurtis, trying to find something about him that she didn't find attractive at all. His hair, longer than it was in Prague, his eyes, dark with anger, the stubble and his mouth, it did nothing but increase the pounding in her ears.

"I know much more about you than you ever can. I see you, only as an outsider could. I see you sit alone, stuck in a loop of sorrow and discontent. I hear you cry out at night, thrashin' in your sleep. I see how you despise yourself for how you treat people and what you've done. I know this Lara." Kurtis breathed, his hands on each of her shoulders, pinning her back. "I know you but all through that – " His voice softened. " – I still know you're a good woman,"

"You don't have a clue –" Lara started but Kurtis interrupted.

"Why do you insist on fightin' me Lara?" He hissed. "All I've ever done for the last year and a half has been for you! You have been there to trip me, every step of the way."

"I may have tripped you, but at least you knew I was there."

Kurtis growled in frustration. "It always comes back to that doesn't it? I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was there _Lady Croft,_ but at least I looked for you." Kurtis instantly knew that this was the wrong thing to say.

"Looked for me!?" Lara exploded, all inklings of romance dispersing from her mind. "I looked for you for six months! Six months in a city I detest, looking for you so I could thank you and set my mind at rest! You… you were…. You _are_ a total mystery! Why do you do what you do? Why do you look out for me?"

"You wouldn't listen," Kurtis scowled heavily.

"Try me," Lara snapped back.

"You want to know why I care?" Kurtis took a deep breath.

"Well?" Lara put her hands on her hips, Kurtis still pinning her against the wall. "Tell me why you killed Boaz for me. Tell me why you saved me from the Mercs. Tell me why you slept in my stable, insist upon being here and – "

"I love you." Kurtis interrupted. Lara closed her mouth and her expression grew darker.

"Now you tell me you love me! _Oh Lara, I love you,_ GET A GRIP!" She yelled. "Do you think I'm a fool? I'm not going to be spoon-fed lies Kurtis, now tell me the truth!"

"I am tellin' you the truth!" Kurtis didn't seem to appreciate his feelings being laughed at. "There you go _again_, blockin' me out. Despite that, I do love you. That's why I'm here, that's why I've been protectin' you. _That's_ why I hope to high heaven that Melissa is not the Chosen One. You are funny, smart and a damn pain in the ass. You get a notion in your head and do the thing straight off and you don't care if you get into trouble. But that's what I love about you. Lara, believe me,"

"Kurtis…" Lara closed her eyes. "Don't"

"You told me to tell you!"

"Yes because I didn't expect this! Love – Sex – Emotions, call it what you will, it's still the same, messiness! I won't have us become a target – "

"Then you obviously don't think much of my feelin's."

"Don't be absurd! I care too much for your feelings! Which is why!"

"Then prove it! Prove to me that you care!"

Lara pushed Kurtis off her with surprising strength and he stumbled back two steps, confused. Then Lara ran at him, her hands outstretched and he fell onto the bed, Lara falling on top of him. As soon as she had landed, she sat up with her legs either side of him, then she leant forwards, the longing coming back tenfold and she kissed him. As she kissed him, it became quick and hungry, and she savagely bit his bottom lip, making him gasp in pain.

The initial shock that had at first left him helpless dispersed quickly and he returned the kiss, frantic, all to aware of Lara sitting on him, her body being pressed against his. Understanding his own strength, he flipped them both over, so Lara was facing upwards at him, her hands forced down by his. He was all to aware that he was lying between her legs, looking down upon the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was strewn over the pillow, shining in the fading sunlight which had fallen over the pillow, illuminating her features.

She lifted up and he caught her mouth with his own, their tongues meeting in a frenzy. Kurtis quickly removed her clothes, moving down to kiss her stomach after he had removed her tank top. He looked up and Lara helped him shed his own clothes, gripping onto his back, her head buried into his shoulder as he moved into her.

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"And that one," Kurtis laughed as Lara pointed at another mark and he put his head onto the pillow. "What?" Lara grinned at him, her eyes looking a little tired.

"You! How many is that now?" He said, sitting up again. "Twenty four bite marks, Lara," He looked at his body.

"Twenty five." Lara corrected and she laughed.

"And I'm bettin' you've given me a few decent scars on my back. What is it? Carvin' 'Kurtis is incredible' into my back? If that's the case sweetheart, I already know." He laughed as Lara threw the pillow at him.

"Ah shut up," She laughed, he caught the pillow and threw it to the other side of the room. Lara was silent for a moment. "Are you sure we… didn't disturb Melissa's circle?" She asked him. Kurtis laughed.

"I don't know," He said truthfully, with a straight face. Then he grinned. "Why don't you ask her?"

Lara sighed and stood up, pulling one of the sheets with her. Kurtis watched as she walked to the window, his head cocked to one side, considering his next move, then he stood up and walked to her side.

"It's a beautiful night," Kurtis commented.

"It is," Lara agreed quietly. "Everything's dark… and beautiful, so quiet." She looked at Kurtis. "It's like the whole world is waiting for something to happen. A huge event so it can release the pent up emotions and its held breath… don't you think?"

"Whatever it is waitin' for…" Kurtis took Lara's hand. "It makes no never mind to us… this is our night Lara… ours."

"We won't have any more time will we?" Kurtis sighed and knocked the white sheet off Lara's shoulder, so it slipped, revealing her elegant back.

"We have all the time in the world." He replied.

Lara smiled and let the sheet drop to the floor. Kurtis moved close to her, already stiffening and began to kiss her throat, biting harshly so she whimpered but kissing afterward. All the while, Lara was backing up against the wall. The wall was cold against her back but she didn't care, for Kurtis was warm, warm to the touch, hot within her. It was slow and gentle and Lara moaned quietly, every so often giving him a grateful bite on the shoulder, making him laugh and kiss her throat even more. Lara's hands tangled in his hair and she held on, hoping for some sort of hold on him, that will cause that moment to last forever. But inside she knew that it wouldn't and that after that night, they would go back to how things were. Mildly detesting each other, but with a small undercurrent of unknown feelings urging them on.

Lara knew she wanted him in her life, oh hell she wanted him, but she also knew that the Lux Knight didn't belong to her and it made that night the poison that would eventually kill her.

But she didn't care, she was trying to convince herself that on that night, she would have her fill of Kurtis and they would just stay friends and remember the night fondly.

Fate had their own ideas. And they both knew it.

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**Thanks to:**

**EmDeSea – **Chemistry is a big thing you know? Lol, it can be hard to miss!!!

**Pen-a-holic – **Lara just doesn't want to admit that she loves Kurtis, and snaps when he flirts. Jealousy… such a fiend, yes? Mwahahahahaha!

**NFI – **I like to hear that someone reads my updates! Thanks! And don't worry about the Evanescence thing, I love them too!

**TangoFever – **I liked the Librarian too. She's the kinda girl that would just get killed for being ditzy.

**NightWish – **Well here's your chapter. They're getting harder and harder to write so don't expect updates everyday anymore :(


	14. The Lux Brooch

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Fourteen**

**- The Lux Brooch - **

Lara's phone buzzed by her head and she groaned, groping in her bag quickly before it stopped ringing. She caught it and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?" She asked groggily.

"Lara?"

Lara shot up, amazed. "Amanda!"

"Yes it's me, don't get too over-excited… where are you?"

"In Mississippi with a couple of friends," Lara replied as Kurtis rolled over in his sleep.

"That's good. Look, I got tailed by James's father, and he led me into some trouble, but I'm glad you're here. I managed to get out. I want to meet you and _only_ you at the library near Rod's house… you remember Rod don't you?"

"Yes, I remember Rod. But I can't come alone Amanda." Lara's eyes narrowed and she realised Kurtis was watching her. "I still don't trust you, I'm bringing Kurtis and that's that."

Amanda sighed. "Alright... I suppose you've told him everything by now. I'll meet you there at one. Have a good morning," And she put the phone down.

"Amanda?" Kurtis asked, sitting up.

Lara nodded and was struck by a sudden thought, she dialled another number and put the phone to her ear again.

"Hello?" The groggy voice answered.

"Alister? Are you still on the plane?" She asked him.

"O' course," He replied, still half-asleep.

"I want you to check up on the Lux Veritatis Knight Prophesy. Call me when you've found something solid." And she switched the phone off.

"Why tell him to do that?" Kurtis queried.

"I'm curious." Lara replied with a shrug. She stretched under the sheet and Kurtis grinned at her, twinkle back in his eye, but Lara shook her head, although she was smiling. "Down boy," She whispered. "We can't guarantee that Melissa won't hear us."

"You didn't seem to mind about that last night," Kurtis murmured, he propped himself up on his elbow. "Did you,"

"You want to make her jealous." Lara looked straight at him, at his smirking face.

"Of course not. I'm not that heartless… although it might be fun to see what she has to say." He looked around them. "How'd we end up on the floor?"

"You put us there." Lara stood up, taking the sheet with her, leaving Kurtis uncovered. "Get dressed, we've got places to be,"

"In two hours." Kurtis mumbled.

"Kurtis – "

"I know, I know, I'm moving. But all the same… would kill some time." He grinned.

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Breakfast was subdued, proving the fact that Melissa _had_ heard their activities. Lara sat opposite Kurtis, Melissa between them, seeing nothing of the way Lara and Kurtis communicated with their eyes. Or rather, Lara was reading Kurtis's eyes… he was just reading her thoughts.

_Make conversation_! Lara demanded and Kurtis nodded towards her then to Melissa, plainly saying: _she's your friend, you talk to her._

_Kurtis_… Lara thought in the most deadly tone she could think of. _She thinks you're her true love, talk dammit!_

Kurtis gave an almost unnoticeable shake of his head. _Nope._

As so it went, until Lara suddenly got a bright idea. Kurtis's eyes widened, clearly saying: _You wouldn't_.

_Try me_. Lara smiled. _Speak now, or no sex_.

"So Melissa, sleep well?" Kurtis asked immediately.

"No," Melissa sighed. "Neighbours were at it again."

"At what?" Lara bit her lip.

"What do you think?" Melissa looked at Lara. "A newly married couple… you know how bad they can be."

"Fun," Kurtis looked very relieved. "I haven't been married so… you know."

"You will get married eventually." Melissa smiled at him. "The Lux Knight is fated to marry – "

"The Chosen One… I know," It was obvious he didn't want to fight her on the whole ' fate' thing anymore.

"So you are listening?" Melissa laughed. "I admit I was a little hasty on telling you that I was the Chosen One… I think we should get to know each other first."

"How do you know that you are the chosen one?" Lara interrupted before she had even decided that she was going to say something.

"Do you want me to show you the brooch?" Melissa seemed happy that Lara was taking an interest. She stood up. "I'll fetch it, hang on."

"What did you go and do that for? I was perfectly fine with not believin' her, and now she's going to crop up with some inescapable proof that I'm gunna be stuck screwin' her for the rest of my life!" Kurtis snapped after Melissa had left the room.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." Lara admitted.

"Jealousy?..." He stuck his tongue out.

"Here we are." Melissa cried as she re-entered the room, She walked to Lara and gave her a small golden brooch in the shape of an L with a V behind it. It held a small ruby between the points of the V. As Lara touched it, the ruby's centre began to glow and the ruby began to spin. Lara watched it in complete wonder as the formerly shapeless ruby stopped spinning, now a perfect sphere. It was vibrating in her grip. She turned it over and read the Latin inscription, which was engraved on the bottom part of the L, aloud.

"Belonging to you, I hold your hand. Belonging to him, he holds your heart." She translated. Melissa frowned.

"It don't say that." She snapped and she looked over Lara's shoulder. She read it through. "… It used to say the Lux Knight's Prophesy."

"…Or Fate?" Kurtis mumbled, too low for either women to hear him.

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**Thanks to:**

**Pen-a-holic – **huh, funny. That reaction keeps cropping up. I suppose not many people like our Melissa then do they?

**TangoFever – **Difficult chapter, but I'm glad you liked it :) I'm hoping Lara and Kurtis seem real, they're both very complex characters.


	15. Next step

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story apart from Melissa

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**Chapter Fifteen**

**- Next Step - **

"No, I'm not! I'm not!" Lara shrieked for the fourth time as she and Kurtis walked towards the library. "Will you just drop it?"

"No, I won't Lara and you know it." He replied. "Why else would it have reacted that way in your presence?"

"Kurtis, _shut up_! Just shut UP! Please!" Lara seethed and for once, he complied, but Lara knew what he was thinking and frankly, the idea terrified her. She couldn't be the chosen one… could she?

Lara shook her head. No. How could she be? She wasn't like Kurtis, with magical powers. No, she was just Lara… just Lara Croft who had a habit of having ideas planted into her head.

They rounded a corner and the library came into view, Lara almost cried when she saw it, hoping for some 'normality', and books with their fragile pages were the best places to find such normality.

But then, she remembered, she was meeting Amanda outside it, she wouldn't be venturing inside.

"Is she here?" Kurtis asked, bringing her back to earth with a bump. Among the people coming and going, Lara recognized Amanda. She was cut and bruised, and wore a pair of sunglasses and a long black leather trench coat. Lara nodded and walked purposefully to her, weaving in and out of the crowds.

"Amanda!"

"Oh Lara, thank god! I was beginnin' to wonder if you were gunna show." Amanda exclaimed. She rushed towards the advancing pair. "And who's this?"

"Kurtis Trent," Lara introduced them and they both nodded politely. "What have you found?"

"The entry point." Amanda replied shortly. "We're taking a trip to New Zealand… if you're up for it?"

"Are we needing Excalibur?"

"Didn't you get my note? Yes we do, is that a problem?" Amanda scowled.

"No, we have it on the plane. We can leave straight away if you'd like." Lara offered.

"I can make my own way there," Amanda shrugged. "But we can't do anything yet. It's a 'once in a blue moon' kinda deal. Meet me at the south coast in a fortnight, I'll call to give you my exact location." And she turned to leave.

"What happened to Rutland?" Lara yelled and Amanda stopped.

"He checked out." She said before continuing on her way.

"Permanently?" Kurtis looked at Lara and she frowned, still watching Amanda.

"If I know Amanda, and I do, I'm thinking that that's pretty likely." She looked at him. "What did she show?"

"She was bein' honest." Kurtis nodded. "But there's something about her that gave me the eebie-jeebies." He put a hand on Lara's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Let's just go shall we? We need to tell Melissa where we're going." Lara shrugged him off.

"She'll be pleased." Kurtis said sarcastically. But he followed her all the same.

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"Keep it." Melissa said quickly but Lara shook her head.

"It's yours." Lara objected.

"I don't care. I want you to have it." Melissa argued.

"Why?" Lara looked at Melissa with tears in her eyes. Melissa pulled Lara into a hug.

"Because you're my friend and you deserve it." She replied as Lara rested her head on her shoulder. "Just promise me you won't get yourself killed? Oh and remember to write, or email! You have my email address don't you?" They drew back from the embrace.

Lara laughed. "I'll stay in touch." She assured. "Thank you, Melissa. I won't forget this." And they exchanged a final smile.

"By the way." Melissa burst out suddenly. "She'll be your true gift…" She smiled. "Kiera will."

"Who will?" Lara frowned and Melissa shrugged and walked back inside.

Lara shook her head and approached Kurtis who stood by the white picket fence. "What did she say?" He asked.

"That Kiera will be my true gift." Lara replied, puzzled.

"Odd." Kurtis grinned. "What she give ya?"

Lara opened her hand and showed him to brooch, lying neatly on her palm.

Kurtis only smiled. "C'mon." He said.

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**TangoFever – **I agree. It's odd how that one line will make guys bend over backwards. :P hahahahahahah! Thanks for your review!

**Sea-ess-eye – **OOH! Someone who hasn't reviewed! Heyo! Gee, thanks for your review. I never thought my story is awesome but… thanks:) you're alright:D

**Pen-a-holic – **lol. Childish. Ta for reviewing.

**NightWish – **Private scene? Sorry, I'm stupid. Thanks for reviewing, and it's ok. A late review is better than no review at all. Thanks :D


	16. The Lux Knight and the Chosen One

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Sixteen**

**- The Lux Knight and The Chosen One - **

What did you find out?" Lara asked as she got on the plane with Kurtis two hours later. Alister smiled.

"Quite a bit," He said turning to look at them both. Kurtis went straight to the other end of the plane and sat down, closing his eyes. "What's with him?"

"Sexual frustration?" Lara guessed. "I don't know. What have you found?"

Alister grinned and turned back to the computer, with Lara leaning on the back of his seat. "That the Lux Veritatis Knight is supposed to save the whole entire universe while on about fifteen other quests at the same time. I'm surprised he's male as it goes. We're crap at multitasking."

"Not always." Lara replied. "Because at the moment, you're doing quite well with doing my head in, showing me a page full of ancient runes that I can't make heads or tails of and telling me nothing useful all at the same time." She smiled.

"Ah," Alister winced. "Okay. Right. Well, he's supposed to marry the 'Chosen One' and create a new high order with her."

"Tell me about this Chosen One." Lara said slowly.

"There's not much to tell." Alister said. "Apart from that she is part of a long line of sorceresses and like the Lux Knight, her final resting place is Avalon."

"Avalon?" Kurtis frowned and sat up, his eyes snapping open. "Isn't that the place we're goin'?"

"Yes," Lara nodded. "But we have nothing to worry about because I am not the Chosen One."

"You'll never know until you find this." Alister clicked on a few keys on the laptop and an image of Melissa's brooch came up, it looked exactly the same to how it looked after Lara had touched it. Lara drew the item from her pocket.

"This you mean?" She gave it to him.

"This is it." He said happily.

"It transformed when Lara touched it." Kurtis stood up and joined them at the computer.

"Complete coincidence." Lara shrugged.

"Or fate?" Kurtis offered.

"I thought you didn't believe in fate?" Lara turned to him, her eyes burning.

"I don't. It's just that all this seems a little too convenient doesn't it?" Kurtis asked her.

"Or are you just hoping for another round? Because if you are, you'll have another thing coming… and it won't be you." She hissed.

"You are _impossible_!" Kurtis snapped. "I'm tryin' to make you see but you're so _blind_! You have to see things from my angle Lara. I'm terrified. I _never_ asked to be a pawn in this game, but here I am, about to be played by those bastards." He stuck his middle finger up and turned it towards the sky. "And if that means admittin' that I believe in fate, so be it. I'll embrace it. I don't care. I'll have a laugh along the way, but I can't do this alone! I'm not built that way. I'm not a pawn anymore Lara, I'm the king and I need my queen to help me or I'm gunna be stuck in checkmate very shortly."

When Lara remained silent, Kurtis stepped forwards, cupping her face with his hands. "You don't only exist to help me Lara. We're here to help each other. I believe you are my Chosen One. But if you're not… I'll move heaven and earth 'til you are." He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." Lara whispered. "But how do we know for certain?"

"Alister mate? Can you check up some more on the Chosen One for me please?" Kurtis asked him. Alister gave a half-hearted smile and nodded, tapping the keys again. Kurtis looked back down at Lara. "I believe in you."

Lara looked straight up at Kurtis and for once, the guard wasn't there, and Lara could see everything that Kurtis was, his memories and his emotions… even his thoughts.

Kurtis chuckled, took Lara's hands and put them on his shoulders, holding them there.

"What?" Lara asked, confused.

"You're in my head." He said. "I can feel you."

"Am I? I thought that was a Lux Veritatis trick?" Lara queried, confused.

"Perhaps it's a sorceress _trick_ also? I wouldn't be surprised." Kurtis answered.

"This is odd." Alister said from the computer. Lara and Kurtis joined him.

"What is it now?" Lara asked leaning on the back of his chair again.

"It says here that the Lux Knight and the Chosen One will be the worlds first true immortals, since Dracula." Alister replied. "And will leave this world, to Avalon when the time comes. Huh, someone has a broad imagination."

"Fate, I can cope with, but Immortality? Isn't that over-steppin' that all-important line just a little?" Kurtis cried, aghast. "We're talkin' about stoppin' even death in it's tracks! I don't know about Lara but I'm not up for a fight to the death, with … well… death. I mean, fightin' a skeleton with a scythe and a bad temper is not my idea of fun."

"Immortality will set in after the birth of your first child apparently." Alister read, resisting the urge to chuckle.

"Fantastic. An eternity of changin' diapers." Kurtis grumbled.

"Your children will age unless they are imbued with your powers." Alister continued, now completely ignoring Kurtis's comments. "Powers may skip a generation or two."

"Oh, that's okay then, as long as they don't get stuck in the age where they're constantly askin' for money." Kurtis interjected.

"Kurtis?" Lara said sweetly. "Shut up."

"Yes dear." And he sat down near the computer.

Lara turned back to Alister. "Anything else?" She asked.

"Oh, just the small matter of the 'Shadow Rising'." Alister said.

"Hang on," Kurtis sat straight up again. _So much for being quiet_. Lara thought scathingly and Kurtis shot her a 'HEY!' look. He shook his head and again looked at Alister. "Isn't the Shadow Risin' somethin' to do with The Lux Knight?"

"Yes." Alister agreed. "Someone is summoning something –"

"Somethin' happy?"

"Decidedly not." Alister replied. "Like I said, someone is summoning something and well, it's the sort of evil that could wipe out the whole entire galaxy… if you believe such things."

"And at the moment. We do." Lara said. "tell us more."

"Normal people cannot sense it, but all the supernatural feel terrible until the power has risen…and then they begin dropping like flies."

"So that means we're safe if we feel better?" Lara asked but she already knew the answer.

"A potion can be brewed by a blood-witch, but these only stop the effects of the pre-summoning. It cannot halt the Ultimate Price." Alister said gravely. "So I'd think you and Kurtis do not have so long to twiddle your thumbs."

"When does said Ultimate Price occur?" Lara said, tapping a finger against her lips.

"That might take me a while." Alister said. "I'll email Zip and see what he has to say on the matter."

"This is a thing the Vampire Slayer might fight." Kurtis looked at Lara with his trademark smirk. "We'll turn around and see Sarah-Michelle Gellar askin' if she can beat it up for us." He looked at the door hopefully.

"This is something even she can't beat." Lara snapped, finding it stupid that she was jealous, she shook her head. "What is she going to do? Drive a stake through it?"

"We don't know what form the Shadow Risin' might take." Kurtis grumbled. "For all we know it could be somethin' that has to be staked."

"Can't be staked." Alister intoned from the computer. "If you want to stop the summoning prematurely, you have to kill the Summoner before the shadow has a chance to manifest itself."

"And where is the Summoner?" Kurtis asked, smirking once again.

"I was rather hoping you could tell me." Alister swung his chair around. Lara and Kurtis glanced at each other.

"Avalon," They said in unison.

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**Thanks to:**

**Sea-ess-eye – **And who is Kiera then? And yeah, most people seem glad that Melissa isn't the chosen one.

**Pen-a-holic – **Good. Be patient… and then I might just tell you who Kiera is.


	17. Brainwave

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Seventeen**

**- Brainwave – **

A fortnight passed but there was still no phone call from Amanda. Lara paced in a hotel room while Kurtis drank a bottle of Budweiser, leaning in a recliner.

The hotel room they had rented was large and brightly decorated, with good quality furnishings and service. Not at all like the hotel Lara had stayed in whilst looking for Kurtis in Prague… the place she had lived in for six solid months, just wondering if the damn bastard was still alive. Lara shot him a look at that thought and continued pacing.

"You're doin' my head in now." Kurtis said. "She won't call, no matter how much you pace. Just sit down."

"I have to do something!" Lara muttered, wringing her hands. "I can't just stay in one place… I'm not like that."

"Then come over here." Kurtis put his bottle on the floor by the seat and patted his lap. Lara frowned and put her weight on one foot, locking her hip. She gave him a sceptical look. "Hey! I'm being serious."

"I'm not in the mood." Lara sighed.

"I don't mean that!" Kurtis groaned. Lara smiled and moved to him, sitting comfortably on his lap. He rested his head on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I just want you to stay in one place." It was obvious by his tone that he was joking. Lara sighed and rested her head against his.

"I worry you, don't I?" Lara asked him with a slight smile.

Kurtis thought for a moment. "yes," He said at last, leaning back to look at her face. "You do worry me."

"Why? How?" Lara tried to keep the ghost of a smile off her face.

Kurtis sighed and leant back in the seat and smirked, his head cocked to one side. "'Cause you're so unpredictable… 'cause I don't know what you're gunna do next. 'Cause you're so damn important to me… and of course, 'cause I never know if the next thin' you go and do will land us both in the clink."

"I'm not going to get us in trouble." Lara replied. "We'll not with the authorities anyway… In Avalon… I do not really know what's going to happen… so I can't say. I would've liked to just get into Avalon, find mother and then leave. But now we have this big deal about the Shadow Rising and whoever's summoning it… I don't really know if we will get out alive."

"Cheery little soul aren't ya?" Kurtis grinned. "We should do… We've overcome quite a lot, you and I."

"We have." Lara agreed. She looked at Kurtis and opened her mouth to speak, when her phone went off.

"Shit!" Lara leapt up, grabbed it and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Lara – "

"Amanda! Why haven't you called? I've been having kittens here!" Lara yelled and she saw Kurtis snigger.

"Sorry but you have no need to panic. The only entrance will open at midday in two months!"

"TWO MONTHS!" Lara cried. "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY SO!?"

"I didn't know." Lara could almost hear Amanda's shrug. "I only found out yesterday. So I'll see you September 23rd, okay?"

"And what am I going to do until then?"

"Prepare. It's gonna be one hell of a bumpy ride." And Amanda put the phone down.

Lara stared at the phone for a moment before putting it back on the table.

"We're early I take it?" Kurtis asked when Lara stayed silent.

"Two months early… there's something I don't understand." Lara began to pace again, much to Kurtis's annoyance. "If Zip is telling the truth and the final summoning will take place in three months… why didn't the Summoner start the ritual two months earlier? When it's completely guaranteed that he won't be disturbed? It makes no sense."

"Maybe he can only perform the ritual at a certain time? Or maybe he knows you're comin'." Kurtis suggested.

"But how?" Lara threw her hands up in frustration. "How could he possibly know that we're – " She stopped, hit by a sudden revelation. The same suspicion Kurtis had all along.

"Amanda,"

Lara put a hand to her forehead. "I've been so _stupid_!" She moaned.

"No you ain't been stupid." Kurtis jumped up from his chair. He approached Lara. "She's a good Liar."

Lara frowned again. "It still doesn't make any sense. Why would the Summoner, a denizen of Avalon care if I'm on my way? And how could Amanda tell him?"

"As for Amanda I haven't got a clue how she could tell him… but why the Summoner would care?..." Kurtis took Lara's hand. "Think."

Lara looked at him for a moment and closed her eyes, scowling as she tried to think, tried to dig through all those separate memories to find that shimmering revelation, that idea that would put everything to light, to make everything make sense.

_There_

"Revenge." She murmured. Kurtis smiled, which surprised her. It wasn't a smirk, or sarcastic in any way, it was genuine and Lara felt herself fall deeper in love with him than ever.

"Revenge for what?"

"Everything I've stolen… trinkets, daggers… it all belonged to something Supernatural… I'm betting that, in the end, all supernatural things belong in Avalon." Lara moved into Kurtis's warm embrace and put her head on his chest. "So… revenge is in order."

"Sure?"

"Pretty much." Lara's hands toyed with the fabric of his shirt. He pulled back slightly and grinned at her.

"Thought you weren't in the mood for that?" He asked, an eyebrow shooting up.

Lara giggled. "We have two months to kill." She kissed him suggestively. "We have to find something to do."

Kurtis laughed and kissed Lara on the mouth, brushing the side of her face with his fingers, slowly and tenderly he began to move, kissing her cheek and down to her jaw. He felt her breath quicken against his cheek and he drew her closer, her head moving back so he could continue his kisses to her throat, and he complied, feeling her hands working at his belt, quickly and clumsily. He laughed and began pulling at the fabric of her top, checking it's strength, and with a smirk, he ripped it easily and pulled it off her, causing her to gasp and she glanced at him, her eyes bright. He felt his belt come loose and Lara moved her hands to the button on his jeans and he pulled away, pushing her towards the room's only bed. She laughed as she fell onto the lumpy mattress and looked up at him through her eyelashes, breathing heavily. She still wore her bra and her shorts and Kurtis pulled his own shirt off, moving around the bed to carefully sit by her. He kissed her, tugging at her shorts, pulling them slowly down to reveal her red underwear. He looked up at her. "Red." He said. "Fancy. Though I'd prefer none at all…"

"Are you going to rectify that situation or am I just going to go to sleep?"

Kurtis smirked and began to undo his trousers.

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**Thanks To:**

**Pen-a-holic – **And now you know… please don't stop reading and reviewing please :D

**TangoFever – **Wow! I never knew you liked my story that much :o its actually quite nice when you do find someone who likes it and continues to review :D thanks. And everyone seems to have a good idea of who Kiera is:O well… You'll have to read on and find out:D Thanks again for your review :D

**Sea-ess-eye – **Wow. Your reviews are great:D they also crack me up. I agree that saying "someone is summoning something" really fast is REALLY hard. I never realised before. And yes I did realise that you had added me on msn… you're never online though :(


	18. Paranoia

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter eighteen **

**- Paranoia – **

"Oh god." Once again, Lara was pacing, wringing her hands, staring straight at the floor, at the polished wooden surface. She took a deep breath, cast a look at Excalibur, which was lying on her desk.

The desk still had no drawer, the replacement having not arrived yet, but it was still clearly the most beautiful thing in the room, made of mahogany, had carved by the most skilled craftsman of the seventeenth century. She had got directly in touch with a friend of hers, a master woodsman, to replace the damaged drawer, but Lara knew, as she looked at the intricate carvings, that it would never be returned to it's true splendour.

_Good_. Lara thought with a nod. _Keeping my mind on other things_… _best thing to do_.

She sighed and wondered over to a bookshelf, picking out a book at random. She opened it, scanned the first page, frowned, snapped the book closed and then dropped it on the floor. If Alister were in the room, he would've screamed at Lara for the disrespectful way she was treating the books. And so she did it again, with a different book, and again, and again, until soon, she was crying, simply picking up the books and dropping them on the floor.

Nothing, nothing, nothing, _nothing, NOTHING, _NOTHING! Lara fell to her knees, a book clasped hard to her chest, sobbing incoherent words amongst her tears. She lay down, curling up like a foetus, still in a mother's womb, and closed her eyes.

Three minutes later, she was asleep.

Kurtis opened the door to the Library and stared down on Lara, a concerned from creasing his forehead. He began to move forward, and then stopped, finding himself unable to get any closer.

Scared and unprotected, Lara had somehow cast some sort of shield around herself, blocking out everyone, even those who did not wish her ill.

Bending down, Kurtis picked up a book and looked at the cover, stared at it a moment and then looked back at Lara and the books that surrounded her, all bearing similar titles. All of them.

He turned to the bookcase and frowned. She had taken the books at random, or so it seemed… but then… why?

He turned back to Lara.

"Shit."

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Lara awoke with a splitting headache. She groaned and sat up, throwing her braid over her shoulder so it hung down her back, staring at the chaotic mess around her, the books strewn about haphazardly, pages loose.

The actions of the night before came back to her and she placed her hands on her abdomen, frowning in a mix of fear and wonder, hardly daring to believe it. "It… can't be." She murmured to herself.

"Can't be what?" Lara looked around and noticed Kurtis sitting on a chair at the desk. He wasn't looking at her, he was reading a book with his back to her.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, standing up.

"Readin', what else?"

"I was lying there… and you didn't do a thing?" Lara scowled heavily. Kurtis turned around in his seat and gave Lara an unreadable look. "You just… left me there?"

"If it were up to me, no… I wouldn't have just _left you there_." He said. "But you were so deep in your own insecurities that I couldn't get near you."

"Insecurities?" Lara gaped at him. "I am _not_ insecure!"

"You're insecure and you're in denial about it. Open your eyes Lara! Why else would your subconscious summon a shield so thick that even I, the man you're meant to love, couldn't get to you?"

"How am I meant to know? I wasn't even aware that I was doing such a thing!" Lara exploded. "I'm cautious! So what?"

"Cautious to the brink of Paranoia!"

"Oh that's rich coming from you!"

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Kurtis stood up, balling his hands into fists.

"Every night… you sleep with that infernal Chirguai and your gun on the bedside table… as if anyone could burst in and shoot you in your sleep!"

"For fucks sake Lara!" Kurtis cried. "I'm not worried for myself! I'm worried for you! I always make sure you're asleep before I shut my eyes! I always make sure the room is secure. Why? 'Cause I know! I know how many people see you as a thorn in their side! They want to take you out!"

"I need a lover, not a guard!" Lara seethed in frustration. "I can take care of myself, I don't need you to protect me, I need you to love me."

"I do love you."

"Then for Christ's sake Kurtis, _show it_!" Lara walked right up to him, invading his personal space. "I don't like arguing with you Kurtis! I don't! … so… what?"

"I do show my love." Kurtis replied, trying to calm himself, but it wasn't easy with Lara being so frustrating. "In ways you can't understand. I'm a soldier at heart, I'm not used to all this… this, love and commitment. But I'm givin' it a go 'cause I love you."

Lara sighed and turned around, walking to the library window, and staring at the fountain outside. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't like being with me?"

"I love bein' with you. Why else would I have come back?" Kurtis moved so he was standing behind her. "I'm serious Lara."

"I know. I just… have things on my mind at the moment," Her voice was tinged with pain. Kurtis put his arms around her, holding her close to his body.

"I don't like seein' you like this." He whispered against her hair. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Nothing too important." She replied but Kurtis knew she was lying.

"Lara, don't bullshit."

"… I… well… I'm…" Lara sighed and turned back to look at Kurtis. "What do you want in life?"

"Well… I've always wanted a Yamaha superbike but, I'm thinkin' that's off the menu." He joked but Lara's face darkened and he gulped. "I don't know." He said quickly.

Lara nodded and again looked out the window. "Me neither." She whispered.

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**Thanks to:**

**TangoFever – **I'm glad you like my updates. I won't update for a while but I've nearly finished and I'll soon be started on my sequel:D

**Pen-a-holic – **YAY! My life is complete:D


	19. Checkmate

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter nineteen **

**- checkmate – **

Alister looked at Zip and narrowed his brown eyes, pushing his glasses further up his nose, the sweat making them slip. Zip looked down at the board, glanced at Alister, then made his move.

_Ah- ha!_ Alister thought triumphantly. _Now I've got you, you little… hang on._

"Checkmate," Zip intoned. Alister looked at the board, then back at Zip, then at the board again, babbling like an idiot.

"But… but… how!?" He managed to splutter.

"Well, I think you pretty much dug your own grave the moment you managed to get your queen on the other side of the board to your king… oh and when you allowed me to surround your king and – "

"Okay, I get the blasted picture!" Alister snapped. "I only lost because I was black. If I were white… I would've kicked your sorry arse."

Zip laughed. "Lara was right. You are a sore loser!" He said and Alister's face turned bright pink.

"A sore loser!?" He screeched, just as Kurtis walked in, looking at Alister like he had just grown another head. He made a show of rubbing his ear.

"You two arguin' again?" He asked, laughing and taking a swig from his bottle of Budweiser. "Look what you've done Zip. You've made him go all high… my ears always get fucked up when he goes high." He leant on the back of Zip's seat. "Who's black?"

"Me." Alister said, a slight defensive edge to his voice.

"Man, you got slaughtered!" Kurtis exclaimed. He gave Zip a high-five. "Oh yeah, and before I forget, Lara needs to see you, Alister, like sharpish… She's having trouble with somethin' or other."

"Fine." Alister stood up, dignity scarred and left the room as Kurtis sat in his seat and helped Zip reset the board.

"Is Lara okay?" Zip asked Kurtis, as he picked up the black pieces.

"Just tired… it's been a rough two months for her… I mean, she's one tough cookie and all but… well… you get the general idea dontcha?"

"I heard her crying last night, when you were out." Zip waited as Kurtis took his turn. "Where did you go anyways?"

"Out to think. I stayed in the grounds… I just… like walkin' alone at night." Kurtis moved a pawn forward two spaces. "Clears my head."

"But something's majorly up dude."

Kurtis watched Zip make his move. "I know, but she's blocked me out again so I can't help. She'd better be back to normal in a month's time… she needs a clear head for when we go to Avalon."

"And do battle with Mr Big sorcerer guy…" Zip mirrored Kurtis's move. "I'm thinking that we'll all need clear heads for _that_ encounter, I'm not particularly looking forward to you two jetting off."

"But it's gonna be a very emotional time. I mean, Lara bein' reunited with her mom after god knows how long… I just hope that all goes well… or as well as it can in these circumstances," Kurtis grinned and blocked a move that Zip had been planning. "I'd hate myself forever if I let anyone harm my Lara. I hate the thought that someone _could_ harm her."

"I agree." Zip nodded and scowled at the board. "But you know what else I hate?"

"What?" Kurtis smirked, knowing what was coming.

"Playing chess with a mind-reader." Zip shook his head. "Play fair."

"I am," Kurtis shrugged. "You're just crap." He grinned to let Zip know he was joking. Zip returned Kurtis's smirk and continued playing chess, which ended up with a rather embarrassing defeat of Zip's, who only had his king remaining, while Kurtis only suffered minor losses.

"Play again?" Kurtis offered but Zip shook his head.

"Uh – uh, no chance." He said. "why don't you ask Lara? Two mind- readers, could be fun to see."

"I think she has other things on her mind right now." Kurtis sighed. He helped Zip put the set away. "Like, preparin' for Avalon…"

"Preparing for her future?" Zip suggested.

"If she has one. I'm pretty sure she has, but what if?" Kurtis blinked unwanted tears away. "I would never… it would kill me. I'd rather face Boaz for all eternity than lose her… or see her in pain."

"She was a broken woman when she returned without you." Zip confided. "When she came back from Prague… she thought you were dead."

"_I_ thought I was dead." Kurtis sat back down and finished his bottle. He unhooked his Chirugai from his belt and began to play with it, turning it over in his hands. He didn't bother making it levitate. "When Boaz stabbed me I thought I was done for, but I managed to drag my sorry – carcass doesn't seem to be the right word… well, I managed to drag myself to a hospital. All the while, Lara was the only thing on my mind. I needed to see her again… see if she had actually made Eckhardt pay." He shrugged and put his Chirugai back. "The hospital took care of me until I was well enough to actually move without my guts fallin' out."

"Lovely images." Zip commented, also sitting. "Please stop."

"Yeah, I'm not too keen on thinkin' about my slimy innards slipping through a bloody hole in my gut." Kurtis grinned.

"Trent!" Zip snapped, slamming his hands against his ears. "Please man, stop!"

"Oh ok." Kurtis sat back and sighed, looking at the ceiling. "But to be honest – "

"KURTIS!"

"Fine." The Lux Knight closed his eyes. "As long as you quit your whinin'."

"Alister whines. Not me." Zip corrected.

"Nope."

"Huh?"

"You're both pretty bad."

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**Thanks to:**

**Sea-ess-eye – **heeey! The title A Child and the Repha'im doesn't give you any clues:O it could be a random child who gets involved with the Repha'im shifty eyes hehe. As always thanks for your reviews! Come onto MSN :O lmao! Hehe

**Pen-a-holic** – my dads a biker. That's how I know about bikes :D


	20. Enter Prophesy

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I hope you like this damn chapter… It gave me no end of grief, trying to find a decent harbour, and then working out the italic scene. Well… :D read on. :D thanks to Mistyrious-Angel for the ideas in the Italic scene. I couldn't have done this without her:D**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter twenty**

**- Enter Prophesy – **

Lara stared out the window as the scenery flashed before her, her head leaning on the headrest behind her. Kurtis had a CD on, blasting out Slipknot with the windows wound right down, so the breeze caught them on their way down to Bluff Harbour. Lara could already smell the sea, its tangy smell rich on her nose and tongue. Kurtis started to pound the steering wheel with his hand, singing along to Duality, slightly out of tune, making Lara smile, and she began to relax. They had been staying in Kingswell, near the south coast to await the 23rd of September and now, at twenty to nine in the morning, they were on their way. Time was of the essence.

As they neared Greenport, Lara turned her head and smiled at Kurtis, who was concentrating on driving and singing at the same time, and didn't notice her look. He had cut his hair back, and now looked exactly like he did in Prague, except the clothes. He was wearing a black t-shirt, a pair of black jeans and black steel-toe-capped boots. A pair of cheap sunglasses shielded his eyes from the sun, which was glaring down on them. Lara put her foot on the dashboard and retied the lace on her boot, catching Kurtis's eye. He smirked and pulled his sunglasses down slightly, giving Lara a wink. She laughed, finished tampering with her footwear and put her leg back down.

The night before, in Kingswell, Kurtis had taken her out for a romantic evening before the importance of the mission they had in the morning, to give her a last chance to unwind. He had taken her out for a meal, just a quick meal, nothing too fancy. He wanted to pay and he didn't have that much money to spare. Lara still appreciated it though. But the reason why he didn't have much money to spare was evident as the night wore on.

_Kurtis looked over at Lara. She was wearing a black dress, rather than the usual shorts and tank top, and her heels snapped against the floor as she walked with him, her arm around his, looking at the glittering ocean reflecting the moon near Bushy Point. Her hair was down, and part of it was across her eye but the eye he could see was bright… with something… happiness? Doubt? He didn't know._

_He was nervous… he knew that because he had those pesky butterflies in his stomach and his palms were beginning to sweat. But he held the box he had in his pocket even tighter. _

"_Are you alright?" He asked her after a moment, she looked up at him and smiled, nodded and rested her head against his shoulder, still looking out to the waters. "What are you thinkin'?" _

"_I don't know." Lara replied. She sounded content. Kurtis began to argue with himself inwardly, if she wasn't in the best mood and he pounced _this _on her… it might ruin their relationship, yet if he didn't and she did expect it of him, again, the relationship could be forfeit. He shook his head and drew his hand from his pocket, leaving the box where it was. _

_Lara smiled, slipped her shoes from her feet, picked them up and ran onto the beach. With a laugh, Kurtis ran and followed her and caught her around her midriff, lifting her into his arms. Dropping her shoes, she laughed and cupped his face with her hands, kissing him tenderly. He set her to her feet and returned the kiss, infected by her mad energy. Breaking away from the embrace Lara turned and ran over to a formation of rocks nearby, jumping easily onto one of them and clambering higher, to perch herself on the topmost one, looking out over the ocean, wind in her hair. Kurtis smiled to himself and followed, sitting next to her._

"_It's a nice night," He said to her and she nodded, enraptured by the beautiful light that was reflected by the wavering mirror that was the unfathomable ocean. _

"_It is." She agreed. Kurtis looked at her, and saw a tear slide down her smooth cheek. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and put his hand back in his pocket, fingers brushing the box. He clutched it and drew it from his pocket, looking at it, a concerned frown crossing his face. Why did he drop himself into this mess? Why did he have to…? Well… it wasn't too late to give it back, he supposed._

"_What's that?" _

_Dammit. He jumped at Lara's voice, being too deep in his thoughts and he dropped the box, watching it bounce off the rocks below, in slow motion. "SHIT!" He cried and he stood up. Lara slipped from where she sat and began to make her way down to where the box now sat, in the sand. Kurtis swore again and started to jump down the rocks, finding it harder than Lara made it look, nimbly leaping and slipping down to where the box and its contents sat waiting patiently for her. _

_Redoubling his efforts, he made a daring leap, straight down to where the box sat, but as he hit the ground, crouching on the floor, Lara swept it up from directly under his nose. She straightened up and opened the box. _

_A diamond ring stared up at her, catching the light of the moon and reflecting it back up at her, her face and wet cheeks sparkling. Kurtis stood, and stared at Lara's face, finding himself unable to look away, staring at her eyes for any sign of any emotion. Another tear seeped from her eye. _

"_What is this?" She asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the ring in her trembling hands._

"_It's… an engagement ring," Kurtis told her. He took a deep breath and pulled her closer. "Lara… I'm not gunna do the whole she-bang and get down on one knee and embarrass you… I'm just here, in front of you… askin' if you would do me the honour…" he hesitated. _

"_Yes?" Lara's face was apprehensive. "Carry on."_

_Kurtis blinked. "I'm no good at this." He explained. "I'm… useless at it to be honest… but… Lara. I don't give a damn about prophesy… ok? I'm not doin' this just 'cause it's supposedly written… I'm doin' this 'cause I'm in love with you. Lara… I'm doin' this 'cause I want you to be my wife." He looked lost for things to do so he sank to one knee anyway, a look of panic in his face. "Will you marry me?"_

Lara smiled and looked down at the ring on her finger, sitting there as if it had always belonged there and again looked at Kurtis. She could tell that he was reading her thoughts. He had that smirk. _I love you_. Lara thought and Kurtis grinned at her, and took her hand.

_I love you more than you could ever know_. He whispered into her mind.

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"Coffee," Kurtis said giving Lara a Styrofoam cup and sitting down on the bench next to her. Lara took the coffee gratefully, pulled the plastic lid off and carefully sipped at the scorching liquid. Her eyes kept shooting to her finger, as if to check if the ring was still there and she hadn't dreamt that Kurtis had proposed. _Proposed!_ Lara smiled.

"Thanks," She said, gasping as the coffee burnt her tongue. She winced. "A little hot though isn't it?"

"Err…" Kurtis looked around and then moved closer to Lara as if he was going to impart a great secret. "I don't know how to tell you this but… erm… Coffee generally is…"

"No." Lara gasped sarcastically. "Never… really?"

Kurtis chuckled and put his arm around Lara's shoulder. "What time is it?" His voice _sounded_ casual.

"I don't know… let me check my watch," She looked at her wrist, devoid of any time measuring device. "Sorry… I think I left it in the world where I was born yesterday." She laughed as Kurtis rolled his eyes.

"Wow… you made a joke." He said. His infamous smirk took over his mouth. "And how'd you know why I was askin' for the time?"

"Because it's you."

"Good point."

"And I can mind-read."

"Another good point."

"And I'm thinking the same thing."

Kurtis grinned.

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The boat rocked in the waters of the harbour where the fishing fleet was kept and Lara gave Kurtis a quizzical look. It had been him who had taken the phone call from Amanda that had told them exactly where to go. Kurtis shrugged and continued walking, taking Lara's hand and pulling her away from the path. "Over here," He said. Only two people were aboard, a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and the boat's grubby owner. He was too busy leering over Amanda to realise that Lara and Kurtis had just come aboard.

"C'mon 'Manda… they (hic) won't be here for – for ages yet…" He gurgled, breath reeking of stale alcohol.

Amanda glared at him. "I'm too busy reelin' from your smell to have any romantic ideas in my mind… and a few too many brain cells so please… just do your job and wait for Lara and Kurtis. "

"We're already here," Lara said, stepping up onto the boat and pushing the sunglasses she had stolen from Kurtis further up her sweating nose. She had Excalibur on her back.

"What's the deal with Popeye?" Kurtis wondered aloud and Lara sniggered.

"He's our 'captain'." Amanda grinned, jerking her head towards the drunken sailor who was now gawping at Lara. Kurtis's hands balled into fists and he strolled towards the poor guy and grabbed the front of his shirt, sticking his face right close to the sailor's. Kurtis breathed and leaned back a little, eyes blazing.

"Ok short-stuff… here's the rule… the only rule. Lara's off-limits got it? If I see you so much as breathe in her general direction, I'm gunna put my fist so far down your fuckin' throat I could rip the label off your underwear… got it?" Kurtis hissed venomously. The sailor nodded.

"Kurtis…" Lara groaned but Kurtis smiled at her.

"Me and Popeye have an understanding… don't we?" He put his arm around the shorter man. "He knows I'm only jokin'." His hand got tighter on the sailor's shoulder and the fellow's eyes bulged a little, obviously saying that he did _not_ know Kurtis was joking.

Lara turned to Amanda, shaking her head. "Captain?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. "This drunken bugger is going to be taking us to Avalon?"

"Unfortunately." Amanda smiled and motioned to Lara and Kurtis to come closer. She seemed very excited. "But he can do it, he's the only one drunk enough _to do_ it."

"I guess people don't really believe in Avalon… seeing as it's known as a myth" Lara said narrowing her eyes at Amanda and wrapping a cautious (_paranoid_, Kurtis thought, watching her) hand around her pistol. "But a drunk man isn't one who would be given the benefit of the doubt if questioned,"

"What do you mean?" Amanda's smile quickly faded away as soon as the sun broke through the morning clouds.

"I'm still not trusting you." Lara shook her head. "You know a lot more than you're letting on."

Amanda's face took on an expression of complete bewilderment and Lara began to doubt herself. Kurtis's face relaxed and, catching Lara's eye, he shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Amanda said, looking between them both. "All I want is to get to Avalon. I don't wish either of you harm."

"You don't?" Lara's eyebrow lifted itself, as if knowing exactly what to do.

"No!" Amanda shook her blonde head. "I know we haven't been the best of friends recently, but that's the thing! I remember what we were, not what happened after Paraiso… I remember the good times… you were my best friend Lara. It used to be me, you and Anaya… and that's why I'm not going to betray you as soon as we get into Avalon. I'm not like that…"

"Anymore." Lara shook her head and sat down on one of the hard plastic seats, Kurtis by her side. Amanda motioned to 'Popeye' and he started the boat, after untying the rope that held the boat secure.

_Are you okay?_ Kurtis asked, straight into Lara's head. She sighed and gave him a glance, then looking up at Amanda as she sat down opposite the couple.

_No_, Lara thought. _I'm absolutely terrified._ She put her hands in her lap, clasping them so hard her knuckles went white. _I just want this over with_.

_I know_. Kurtis put his arm around her, and pulled her closer to his warm body. Lara leaned against him, taking comfort in his closeness, remembering that he would never let anything happen to her, he would protect her until his last breath left his lungs. But even that thought scared her. Him not returning from fighting Boaz forever haunted her, the feeling of complete loss and loneliness, as she was left on her own for a year and a half, not knowing if he was alive or dead.

She could never go through that again.

_Won't happen_. Kurtis's mind was close to hers and his thought had so much conviction that she found herself believing it. No. They'd be fine. They'd have to be.

"I hate awkward silences." Amanda said suddenly, leaning back in her seat as the boats engine roared and they picked up speed. "They make me feel uncomfortable."

"If there is an awkward silence, it's because you ruined your friendship with Lara the moment you tried to kill her."

"I see." Amanda looked injured at Kurtis's blunt way of speaking, and Lara was too heartless to tell her that she was forgiven. For one thing, she wasn't. For another, Lara enjoyed watching her feel guilty.

"When will we reach the entry point?" Lara asked, at least agreeing with Amanda on the whole 'Awkward Silence' thing.

"In about five minutes." Amanda replied looking at her watch with a sigh. "Luckily we have twenty minutes before the portal opens."

"Twenty minutes? So we'll be sat for twenty minutes twiddlin' our thumbs?" Kurtis demanded, scowling once again. "You didn't plan this trip too well did you?"

"Actually." Amanda grinned. "I did. We're setting off early so we can prepare for the transition. Without good preparations, we could accidentally call forth a mythical creature. While that is pretty unlikely anyway, it could still happen… where d'ya think the lochness monster came from? Anyway, I'll need yours and Lara's help in a chant that will one, warn off any evil that would want to sneak into this plane and make trouble and two... and more importantly… will grant us access."

"See?" Lara shook her head. "We're lucky we have Amanda now. We wouldn't have thought of this."

"But sneakin' through the portals is the way we, to say the Lux Veritatis and the Sorceresses, started out!" Kurtis rolled his eyes. "Mind-powers, magic… they _all_ originated in Avalon… why else would there only be a select few of us in the world?"

Amanda grinned. "He's a gem! Where did you find him?"

"Paris," Lara gave him a playful shove and he sat back, grinning. The harsh tension was beginning to lift, as the sun beat down upon the trio and their drunken captain. Lara felt herself smile.

"So what's the story with you two?" Amanda's eyebrows had risen a little, telling Lara that she had already spotted the ring adorning her finger. Lara blushed, pleased, and Amanda cackled, clapping her hands in amusement. Kurtis looked a little confused, especially after Lara began to laugh also, shaking her head. Kurtis sighed and closed his eyes, with the slightest mumble of the world "_women_."

Five minutes later the boat came to a slow stop, to rest in the centre of five sharp rocks jutting out of the water, they looked like black spires. Amanda, Kurtis and Lara were sitting in a circle, all staring at a single candle in the centre. As Lara stared at it, she remembered the night she was reading by candlelight, a moment before the Chirugai had made its spectacular reappearance.

She smiled inwardly and took Kurtis's and Amanda's hands, staring into the stuttering flame, somewhat dim in the bright sunlight.

Kurtis felt Amanda squeeze his hand and he instantly launched into a Latin speech, closing his eyes and tensing his body, feeling his scars pull on his skin. Lara bowed her head and began to murmur in a language unknown to Kurtis, it was high and musical, and as she spoke, the air around her started to glitter, mostly collecting around Excalibur, lying next to the candle, and the candle's flame which had inexplicably turned green. Amanda smiled and joined Kurtis in his Latin speech, also closing her eyes.

Popeye lowered his bottle of whiskey and gazed up at the sun which was glowing with such an intensity, he had to look away to save his sight. A beam of light settled on the water, about a hundred metres in diameter, bathing the whole boat in mystical light. The five rocks are acting as the points of a pentagram, each on the edge of the light, but not touching, only sitting carefully in the normal light of day.

Popeye gazed around himself, the voice of the brunette woman rising like a song, enveloping him in peace, causing him to sit down and relive his happiest memories, ignoring that which was beginning to pass over them.

Without any prompting, the trio stood up. Amanda and Kurtis were still muttering their Latin Incantation, whilst Lara sang in her own language, her head still bowed. A wind began to pick up around them and swallowed all three in a whirlwind, leaving nothing but a slight shimmer in the air and the single stub of a candle.

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**Thanks to:**

**Sea-ess-eye: **SHIT! I knew that part would be confusing. It was two months since he had come back to her, and that's why things had become tough. Sorry about the confusion, and yep I'm in England. :P Silly that really, but I gotta catch ya. Oh, I hoped you like this chapter ;) I LOVED WRITING IT:P

**EmDeSea - **:D hehe. I loved writing that part:P especially with Alister being so childish! hope you liked this chapter… it was sooooo hard:

**Pen-a-holic –** Yeah my dad's awesome


	21. Caged

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!! **

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter twenty-one**

**- Caged – **

A man with golden skin quickly locked the cage, passing an item to another man, who took it and quickly left, leaving the cage with the two remaining men. The man who had locked the cage nudged his friend and pointed inside, chuckling and waggling his eyebrows to let his friend know exactly what he meant. He slipped the golden key in his pouch.

"That one?" His partner asked with a grin. "Why not her?"

"Small." The first man put his hands in front of his chest, then he cupped them, grinning. "Don't like small." He sniggered.

"Ah, I see." The second man rubbed his shoulder, massaging his golden skin. "But we have to take them to _her_ before we can do anything with them… I want to torture the male… he looks strong."

"Pfft." The first man scoffed, getting in position to push the cage. "Weasel."

"Perhaps." The second golden-skinned man stood by his friend. "But don't underestimate the prisoners Kalin… They're always stronger than they look, otherwise they'd never manage to get here in the first place."

Kalin grumbled and began pushing the cage, wheeling it down the stone ramp, leading away from the entry potal. "Mito?"

"What?" The second man joined Kalin in pushing the cage.

"They smell bad." Kalin muttered, despair covering his face, golden eyes twinkling with tears. Mito smiled and nodded.

"Exhaust fumes and smoke." He said. "Nicotine on that one."

"How they stand it?" Kalin looked shocked.

"They're demons." Mito shrugged. "And so… must die."

Kalin laughed, sweat trickling down his arms as he pushed the cage with the three other-worlders.

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Amelia Croft had her eyes closed, arms changed to her seat, feet shackled to the floor, preventing her from moving anywhere. Her black and grey hair was greasy, slicked to her forehead and the back of her neck, where she was sweating the most.

With a gasp, she pulled backwards, her eyes snapping open, staring at the mosaics above her. "Finally Lara!" She called out and she jerked forwards, doubling her efforts, as she closed her eyes, the chains bit into her arms as Amelia tried to force herself off her seat, yet more sweat dribbling down her face.

Exhausted, Amelia slumped, her foot twitching uncomfortably. But through her discomfort, she knew it had to be done.

It was deserved. She was, after all, her daughter.

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Lara felt different. She opened her eyes and immediately closed them again as a blinding light seared over her pupils.

"Ugh," She groaned. Suddenly, the light that was threatening to burn straight through her eyelids disappeared as someone sat over her.

"Lara?" Kurtis put a hand on her forehead and felt her temperature, without truly knowing why. "Are you okay?"

"Where are we?" Lara grumbled, feeling another pair of eyes pull her up to a sitting position. There, Lara opened her eyes at a squint and attempted to take in her surroundings. The first thing she realised was that she was in a cage with both Amanda and Kurtis. Whilst uninjured, they both looked absolutely exhausted. The bars were iron, but had purple vines creeping up them, vines that, Lara had an inkling, would not do wonders for human skin.

The cage was in a huge stone room, lit at the walls by fires in large sconces, flickering, but Lara knew that they weren't needed, the light from above was bright enough to light a whole city on the blackest night, so much that she dared not look at it again.

"Avalon by the looks of things," Amanda said looking around.

"Then why the cages?"

"They're not too big on tourists?" Kurtis suggested, checking if Lara had been hurt. He glanced into Lara's eyes and did a double take. "Fuck." He whispered.

"Kurtis?" Lara grabbed his arm, frowning. When he didn't answer, she tried to push into his mind with her own, but he had already put a block up to prevent her from invading, prepared for her attack. "Kurtis, what the hell is it?"

"It's Kiera." He whispered, as if suddenly understanding, his eyes blazed with a few fire and he gently kissed Lara's lips, Amanda looking bewildered.

"Kurtis… please, try to make some sense." Lara told him. "Kiera… who's Kiera?"

"Lara." Kurtis felt a true smile creep onto his face. He laughed and repeated her name.

"Kurtis." Lara's voice had turned dangerous.

"Looking into your eyes. I saw something, I saw something that shouldn't be there. Like an extra part to your soul." Kurtis laughed and took Lara's hands. "At first I thought you were possessed by something… but then I knew."

"Knew? Knew _what_?!"

"Lara. You're pregnant."

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**Thanks to:**

**Pen-a-holic –** SO blatantly from Pirates of the Caribbean there ;)

**Sea-ess-eye - ** thanks. The chapter kicked my ass but further chapters are much worse for them. I'm ripping my hair out which is why it's taking me so long to update! But I've finished now and all there is left for me to do is type them up and start the sequel I've already started but its REALLY hard. You'll understand when you read the last two chapters. Well... I'm nearly there. Chapter 24 is the last one


	22. Escape?

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Twenty-two**

**- Escape? – **

A heavy silence followed this announcement, one which Lara could hear the quickened beating of her heart over. She blinked and felt like she was about to pass out again, but she closed her eyes and began to attempt to calm down.

Amanda looked at the couple in total shock, her eyebrows so high they were lost in her hair, but a smirk was beginning to rise at the corner of her mouth.

"Pregnant?" Lara asked in a small voice. "Are you sure?" Kurtis nodded enthusiastically.

"Very." Kurtis stroked Lara's face with two fingers. "Lara… we're havin' a child."

"A girl?"

"I'm not sure… but if Melissa is telling the truth about her powers, then I'm thinkin' that the prospect of Kiera may have visited her in a dream. You understand?"

"Not at all." Lara shook her head. "You're still not making any sense Kurtis."

"All he's trying to say is that you're gonna give birth to his child if we don't all die a brutal screaming death here in Avalon." Amanda snapped. Lara looked at her.

"You've changed your tune." She said, surprised.

"I don't like being stuck in a cage." Amanda said grumpily. "Bad memories. I tend to get claustrophobic."

"You're not the only one," Kurtis said. "I think it's time we get some answers." He crawled towards the bars. "Helloooo? Yo! Dude! Yeah, you! Come over here…! Here! Over… here… _noo_… over _here_. Not to the door you stupid asshole! Here dammit." He fell back, disappointed. "No joy."

"Maybe they don't understand?" Lara suggested.

"Oh they understand all right. You should've heart what they were saying about Kurtis…" Amanda said darkly. She jerked her chin in direction of the room's only door. Their guard had just come back.

"What was said?" Kurtis was interested all of a sudden, staring at Amanda.

"That you reek and they'd love to torture ya… I swear one of them called you a weasel."

"A weasel!?" Kurtis seemed genuinely surprised. "Me? A weasel? I'd love to see a weasel take on Boaz and live to tell the tale."

"Yes, we get the point that you defied death Kurtis and we're all very disappointed about the whole business, can you stop bringing it up every five minutes?"

Kurtis retorted, but Lara didn't hear it, she was too busy thinking, thinking about what Kurtis had told her, about her being pregnant. Ever since she was very little, she had promised herself that she would be a mother someday, with a nice stable man she could always count on, in a nice warm house, talking about flower arrangements or decorating the would- be nursery. Instead, Lara was pregnant with the last of the Lux Veritatis's child, stuck in Avalon talking about weasels and mutant-bugs, not sure if they would ever see the 'real world' again. Hardly things dreams were made of. Lara snorted. And as for her choice of man, she could just as easily count on Kurtis than she could count on Amanda to not betray her. Kurtis was not the kind of guy Lara could see changing nappies… or saying 'I do'… but he had proposed to her… which meant _something_. Lara knew he would prefer to be out in the world like a wild animal, chasing down the next big evil. He wouldn't like to be caged, he wouldn't like to be held down in one place… he was a lonewolf… he was Kurtis… he was…

"THE BASTARDS STOLE MY CHIRUGAI!" Kurtis yelled.

_Very loud…_ Lara thought with a shake of her head. Exactly the reason why she loved him.

"Huh?" Lara was pulled from her thoughts, as Kurtis scrambled towards the bars of the cage. He looked at Lara.

"They've taken my Chirugai! Left my Boran X but took my damn Chirugai! Someone's going to pay…" He went right up to the bars yet again but didn't touch the vines. "Hey! You! Prickstain! Over here!" Kurtis hollered, eyes blazing, obviously pissed off. The golden-skinned guard scowled and moved towards the cage. He unlocked the door, just as a gunshot went off and the guard slumped, a bullet now embedded in his skull. Kurtis lowered his Boran X, surprised. "How thick can you get?"

"These are simple people." Amanda told him. "I doubt if they've ever experienced guns before." She shrugged. "This is supposed to be paradise after all."

"Paradise with customs." Kurtis crept from the cage and straightened up, back clicking. He turned and helped Lara out, Amanda following. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Has he got your Chirugai?" Lara asked when it was obvious he wasn't going to explain his mutterings.

"Where's he going to hide it? In his loincloth!? If that's the case, I can live without it." Kurtis snapped at her, obviously stressed.

"Don't get sarcastic with me Kurtis!" Lara growled. He sensed the warning and gave her an apologetic smile.

_Good enough_. Lara thought. _For now_. The wideness of his smile told her that he had heard her.

"Right. Now we're out of there… now what?" Amanda said, looking around with interest. The light from above was still glowing with such an intensity, it hurt to open her eyes all the way. She shielded them with her hand.

"Now we find the twats that stole my Chirugai." Kurtis grumbled.

"There are things more important than your fucking Chirugai." Amanda snapped at him but Lara touched her arm.

"Not so true Amanda." Lara informed her. "Kurtis is bloody lethal with that thing. Believe me. It would give us the advantage in any situation."

"Apart from underwater… I don't tend to do well with drownin' and controllin' a hunk of metal with my mind at the same time." Kurtis said unhelpfully.

"Shall we test that theory?" Lara said with a smile. She turned back to Amanda, considering what Kurtis had said. "Well, we'll have the advantage in _this_ situation."

"A nice spinnin' bladed disc sort of advantage." Kurtis agreed.

"Why do we have to resort to violence?" Amanda grumbled. She looked around. "This is Avalon! Paradise! I don't understand… why this … is happening…"

"It stopped being paradise the moment they decided to shove us in a cage, steal our weapons and hold us hostage." Lara stretched, feeling her back click in several different places. She grimaced. "How I hate to admit it Amanda but this time, violence does seem to be the best option… to be honest it seems to be our only option…"

"Turning and running should coincide with that somewhere." Kurtis voice was tinged with panic and he grabbed Lara's arm to face the door. There, each staring daggers at the trio, stood a group of the same golden-skinned men, each and every one of them, holding a lethal-looking weapon.

Lara instinctively drew her pistols, their weight comfortable in her hands, and she took a step back, the group of natives taking, as one, a step forward. Kurtis had his Boran X out, looking at the advancing hostiles with worry written on his face. "See Amanda?" He snapped. "There's no chance that we'll be getting' outta here without shedding some blood." He looked at Lara. "Leave Amanda as bait? Bloody her up a little?"

"Hey." Amanda scowled and pulled a revolver from a hidden holster at her ankle. "I'm leaving here in one piece thankyouverymuch…" She grinned. "Perhaps we'll chop off one of your appendages," She waggled her eyebrows, telling him exactly what she meant by that. "It's not like you'll actually _need_ it now Lara's up the duff."

"Amanda." Lara growled, obviously peeved at her choice of words. "This is no time for jokes or idle chit-chat. Make a decision and make it fast."

Amanda rolled her eyes and randomly shot one of the approaching men in the forehead. "Happy now?" She asked as he crumpled, all his fellows turning their heads to watch him fall.

"Mito?" One of them asked, then he looked up, rage in his round eyes. He let out a battle cry and ran at the trio, the remaining men taking up the charge also, a split second later.

"Oh fuck," Lara moaned and she aimed her pistols, squeezing the triggers, a bullet halting the one who had cried out his friend's name. He fell to the floor, blood oozing from the wound she had created.

Kurtis was also firing, scowling in utter concentration, seemingly not wanting to actually kill any of them, just slow them down. Either that or he was a crap shot. Lara didn't want to begin thinking about it. It would take her hours to decide.

Within a minute, the exit was clear and Kurtis seized Lara's hand, pulling her to the door, Lara catching Amanda's hand and dragging her along too.

Getting out of the bright room, they ran through a long stone corridor, encountering a junction, either a right or left turning. Kurtis closed his eyes as they turned right, sending out his mind to plan the path ahead, before even actually seeing where he was going. Man he loved his Farsee.

Lara and Amanda followed without question, Amanda throwing cautious looks over her shoulder, looking out for any sign of pursuit. "We've lost 'em!" Amanda cried out after a while. "We gotta stop! I'm… gonna fucking …f-faint!"

Kurtis slowed his run to a quick walk and he opened his eyes. "In here." He hissed, pushing open a pair of huge double doors.

They all froze.

"Wanker." Amanda grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at Kurtis.

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Lara winced, staring at the whole room of Natives they had stumbled across. It looked like a mix between a throne room and a barracks. Long wooden tables took up most of the room, but then at the top of about three or four steps, there stood an immense throne. It was this that drew Lara's attention.

"Of all the rooms you could've chosen, you had to pick the one filled to the back teeth with the Natives… didn't you?" Amanda continued, keeping her eyes on the stony faces of their Hosts.

"Well I didn't expect you to break my friggin' concentration. I made a gamble and we come off worse." Kurtis shrugged. "You're as much at fault as I am."

"Yeah sure." Amanda's tone was completely ruled over by sarcasm. She moved closer to Lara who was still staring at the throne. Luckily the natives didn't appear to be big thinkers… or quick thinkers… or thinkers at all, they just stood there, staring as if waiting for a command.

Lara stepped forwards, closer to the steps that led to the throne. A woman was sitting on it, her head lolling, chained by the wrists and ankles, she was unable to move. The woman's head moved and Lara could see her face.

"MOTHER!" Without thinking, Lara bolted, sprinting forwards and jumping up the few steps, falling down onto her knees as she reached the throne. She fumbled with her pistol, shooting the thin chains that held her shackles and then breaking the padlock that held the thick chain in place. She picked the chains from her mother's weak body and began to lift her up. She stumbled and fell back, her mother falling with her, onto her knees.

Amelia opened her eyes and gazed at her daughter, cocking her head to one side. "L-Lara?" She croaked. God, her voice sounded so awful.

"Yes, mother… it's me!" Lara nodded, tears sparking into her eyes. She embraced her mother quickly and tightly. She sniffed. "We have to go now okay?"

Kurtis and Amanda had also moved towards the throne, guns out. Kurtis was watching the proceedings suspiciously.

He didn't like it.

"G-go?" Amelia frowned, confused. "You… you – left… me."

"Look we have to go _now_. I'm serious… let's go." And she stood up, lifting her mother with her. Lara smiled and turned her back on her mother, beginning to walk down the steps.

Amelia drew a concealed dagger from her sleeve and raised it behind her daughter, the silver glinting in the air as it moved to hit its target.

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**Thanks to:**

**Sarah McCarthy – **OOOH! A new reviewer hehe, don't worry only 2 more chapters to go before the sequel

**Mistyrious-Angel – **Hey, you've done SO much to help me. I can never thank you enough. YOU ROCK!

**TangoFever – **Yep, people all knew Lara was pregnant. S'all good though.


	23. Loss

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter twenty-three**

**- Loss - **

Lara stumbled as Kurtis crashed into her, pushing her to the ground so that the attack Lara didn't see coming missed completely. Lara flung out her hands to catch her as she fell down the rest of the stairs. She landed on the hard stone and shot Kurtis an annoyed look, about to ask why he had bumped into her but then her insides froze and then, without moving, without warning, Lara shattered.

Amelia was stood before Kurtis, scowling at him, holding a blooded dagger in her hand. Kurtis touched his chest and brought his hand to his face, looking at the blood he had wiped from his torso. "F-fuck." He gasped. Amelia shrieked and stabbed him again, this time, directly in the heart and he fell to his knees, then backwards, down the stairs to rest right next to where Lara sat, staring at him. Looking into his dear, shocked face, she didn't need to check his pulse to know that he was dead. His eyes were open, but they held no light, the blue in them no longer beautifully magical. Now they were just cold and dull.

Lara herself, felt cold, like a wind had passed over her, bringing with it the broken winters of a thousand bitter years. She slowly got to her feet, pain shooting up her leg, staring down at Kurtis's strangely lifeless body. He was so full of energy, but now…

"YOU!" Lara roared, turning her fiery stare to her mother. "What… WHY?!"

"Oops… did I miss?" Amelia simpered. She raised the dagger again but, this time, Amanda ran at her, fists ready. Amelia grabbed Amanda's throat, throwing her with impossible force to the other side of the room, not even pausing in her stride. "Come on Lara… Play fair. I don't want to kill both your friends."

"I loved him." Lara walked backwards, her mind buckling under the idea that she had lost Kurtis again. Again. No. It couldn't be. It _couldn't _be. "Why?"

"Oh Lara… you think I care that I killed the one you loved?" Amelia smiled and she looked just like the mother she had been, for a split second, until she scowled. "How could I when you _abandoned _me?"

"Abandoned YOU?!" Lara's mouth fell open. "I never abandoned you!"

"Decades Lara. Absolute decades I've been alone here… wanting to _punish you_ for leaving me and running off, like any decent mother would do! You should've come back, found another way! But no. You had to go running to your father and what did he do? Made a blasted fool out of himself and ruined the name of Croft forever!"

"How do you know this?" Lara demanded, still trying to keep equal distance between her, her mother and the guards, who were now beginning to look incredibly menacing. She was completely surrounded.

"I have magical apparatus here. Scrying equipment. You do know that you're a sorceress don't you?" Amelia smiled. "The chosen one…" She laughed. "Destined to be with the Lux Knight… did you know that your father was a member of the Lux Veritatis also?" Again, she cackled at Lara's shocked expression. "Yes… Your dear father… It's where you get those wonderful mind-powers of yours from. Mine and his union was forbidden… as yours and his–" She pointed at Kurtis "-was. I had to do something. Mostly to destroy the abomination in your womb."

"Leave Kiera out of this!" Kiera's eyes narrowed at her mother, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists.

"Ah, so you've named it already have you?" Amelia sneered. "I remember when I found out I was pregnant with you. Sorceresses only ever give birth to females and so I knew exactly what to call you. Of course, I wouldn't have bothered if I had known what a disappointment you would turn out to be."

"Mother…" Lara shook her head.

"Enough talk!" Amelia spat readying her stance, the bloody dagger still in her hand. "Lara. You left me here, I am your mother yet you still left me to suffer decades of an alien plane. This is what you deserve."

"So you kill the man I love and then kill me?" Lara took her pistol from one of the holsters. "Why?"

"Because I can." And Amelia smiled. Without a word, Lara lifted her weapon, seeing it take its slow course upward to point directly at her mother. Her finger hesitated momentarily on the trigger before she squeezed it, closing her eyes.

The bullet ripped from the barrel and hit her mother with a solid sound and Lara opened her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek and she dropped her gun the floor.

Her mother was on the floor, holding her stomach, a gunshot wound pouring with blood. She was looking up at Lara in pride. "I… knew… you… c-could do it." She whispered.

"NO!" Lara shrieked. She leapt forwards, pulled the dagger from her mother's feeble grip and forced it into her heart, lifting it, and stabbing again with a sickening ease. She forced it down again, blood spurting over her hand which was gripping the handle of the blade. She felt Amanda creep over to her and she pulled her away from Amelia's decimated body, holding Lara's head close to her breast, stroking her head.

Lara stared blankly at the body near her. One arm was flung out toward her, the ring that sat on his finger glistening gold in the pale candlelight and the other was across his own chest, the sleeve soaking up the ruby blood.

Lara hastily pulled away from Amanda and sat up straight, staring into space completely and Amanda had no choice but to stand, looking down on her old friend with something close to compassion.

She felt someone by her shoulder and she turned, cautiously holding her gun, to face one of the Natives. He was staring at Lara in a concerned fashion.

"She killed the Summoner." He said carefully. "She released us."

"Released you?"

"The Summoner." He pointed at Amelia's corpse. "She used her power to… to control us… we were conscious, but unable to stop what we were doing… did we… harm you?"

Amanda shook her head and looked at Kurtis's body. "Is there anything…?"

"Nothing." The Native shook his head, and instead took something from a pouch at his side. It was the Chirugai. "I took this from… well… I thought maybe she would like to have it?"

Amanda carefully accepted the Chirugai and knelt by Lara, offering the glaive.

Lara stared at it for a long moment and then touched it with a tentative finger and that was when her whole world, her hopes and her dreams, crumbled into nothing. He was dead. Gone. _Dead_. He will never crack an inappropriate joke at an awkward time again. He will never smirk again.

He will never kiss her again

He will never hold her again.

He will never make love to her again.

He will _never know his daughter_. Lara took the Chirugai in her shaking hands and sobbed, her soul breaking in two…

The Chirugai was stone cold.

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**TBC**

**Thanks to:**

**TangoFever – **I couldn't wait to update :( sorry. Lol. Enjoy!


	24. Always

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer – **I own no one in this story

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**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**- You – **

Lara sighed and looked out the window of the cab, seeing her home loom into view. She closed her eyes reflectively and turned her head away, as if not seeing it would make it not real.

The car came to a halt and the driver turned in his seat. "That's twenty quid sixty love." He said brashly and Lara opened her eyes, gracing him with her famous 'If it weren't illegal' look. She reached for her purse and gave him a twenty and three twenty pence pieces. Grabbing the suitcase she had brought with her, she got out the cab, staring at the place she had called home since before she could remember. The place she loathed.

The one place she didn't want to be. Being home told her that she had given up, that she had admitted defeat and Lara Croft did not admit defeat. She shook her head.

Even she couldn't bring people from the grave.

She sighed and walked up the extensive drive, dragging the suitcase with her, thoroughly depressed. Rain clouds were forming above her, matching her hopeless mood.

At the door, she easily pushed it open, knowing that Winston would await her return and would leave the door unlocked in the daytime. She stared at the familiar hall, then turned to look down the drive, forehead creasing. She had thought she had heard… No, perhaps not.

And she walked in, the small silver dagger and the Chirugai hidden in her backpack.

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Lara stared up at the ceiling she hated, lying in the bed she hated, in the room she detested, in the home she absolutely loathed. She couldn't sleep, even after so long, she still couldn't sleep without him by her side.

Something whimpered.

Lara slipped from her bed and wandered across the room to where the cot sat. She leant over the wooden side and pulled the tiny baby girl from the tangle of blankets, who began to cry in her mother's arms, confused.

"Hush," Lara soothed, holding the child closer to her body. "Mummy's here… I'm here."

Lara closed her eyes and felt another tear roll down her cheek. Crying again. Like everyday for the last year and a half.

_I miss you_.

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**THE END**

My god! I never thought I'd ever manage to type those two words:D Wow. I had sooo much fun writing this! And now I've started on the sequel:D Enjoy. And don't hate me for what I did to Mr Trent. I know they were engaged and all… but… you know…

**Thanks to:**

**Tangofever – **Thanks for reviewing constantly. I really appreciate it. And thanks for keeping me writing. I know you're not pleased at me for what I did to Kurtis but I couldn't help it :( I didn't really want to kill him off either.

**Mistyrious-Angel – **Again, Thanks. I couldn't do this story without you. You've helped me sooo much and I hope you'll help me (and you have already) with the sequel. You are great! Love ya!


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